HEARINGS BEFORE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE. 27 
must be taken. With the constantly increasing demand for cotton and cotton prod- 
ucts, grave industrial conditions are likely to be brought about unless some means 
can be devised for meeting the emergency. The cotton-boll weevil, of course, és not 
the only factor to consider in this matter. It is a grave menace, it is true, but, omit- 
ting it from the proposition entirely, the fact would remain that, owing to lack of 
proper Spa pan practices in the South, the supply of cotton-has not been keepin, 
ace with the demand. The work, thereiore, on this subject will have to be viewe 
rom the standpoint of the entire South where cotton is grown, but at the same time 
special effort will have to be devoted to the territory which has been invaded by the 
boll weevil. 
The honorable Secretary, in his report already referred to, gives brief reference to 
ten lines of work that might be carried on in connection with this subject. I shall 
now briefly refer to them, dwelling only incidentally on those which relate more 
strictly to another branch of the Department, and which will be discussed by Doctor 
Howard. In outlining this work I shall, of course, have to omit a considerable por- 
tion of the detail, but will endeavor to present the matter in such a way as to show 
in what manner it is proposed to use the money authorized by the bill. 
1. Checking sporadic outbreaks of the weevil.—This subject will be discussed more 
fully by Doctor Howard. I only wish to remark, in passing, that it would seem 
practicable to at least restrict the spread of the insect by properly organizing a corps 
of ee a a and taking radical steps to stamp out sporadic outbreaks of the 
weevil outside of the general wave of infection. This is a matter which would have 
to be worked through the cooperation of the State authorities, and brings up the 
question of proper State legislation which will enable the National Goverment to aid 
in the work. The Texas legislature is soon to meet, and the Louisiana legislature 
will probably be called in extra session at an early day. The Mississippi legislature 
also meets at an early date. A uniform pest law in these three States would do much 
to aid in this work outlined, and it would be proper for the Department to aid in 
bringing about this legislative action. If it was considered advisable for the Depart- 
ment to act in this matter along lines pursued in combating the ‘ foot-and- 
mouth disease,’’ for example—that is, the reimbursement of cotton growers where 
their crops were destroyed—a great deal of money could be used. It is a question, 
however, whether the National Government should go extensively into this work. 
Probably $50,000 could be expended to good advantage in work of this kind, but 
this is a matter that Doctor Howard is more able to speak upon definitely than I am. 
The sum, as already indicated, practically would have no limit, for if the Govern- 
ment entered upon the work with the expectation of reimbursing cotton growers 
wherever their crops were destroyed, half a million dollars would soon be required. 
' 2. Demonstration work to show the value of improved cultural methods by which farmers 
can produce fair crops in spite of the weevil.—The Department, through the Division 
of Entomology, has already pointed out the great value of this work. Demonstra- 
tion farms have this year been conducted in several parts of Texas and, in most cases, 
the results secured teva been very satisfactory. There is, in my judgment, an 
urgent necessity for more of these demonstration experiments. The question is not, 
I believe, one which should be considered from the standpoint of showing the value 
of the work with particular reference to certain types of soil, certain geological forma- 
tions, etc. It appeals tome ina very much different way. Cotton growers are 
especially conservative. They are slow to take hold of any new propositions and no 
amount of argument or literature has the effect of an actual demonstration experi- 
ment conducted in such a way that the evidence of success is apparent to anyone who 
wishes to use his eyes. For these reasons it would seem to me highly important 
and necessary to increase the number of actual demonstration experiments in such 
a way that a direct impression would be made upon a large number of cotton growers 
extending over a large area of country. Ido not believe there is any necessity for 
having these demonstration farms as large as they have been in the past. Twenty- 
five or 50 acres is ample and, if the work is properly conducted, the main expense 
will be in the matter of expert advisers and assistants to look after the investigations 
in general. The object and scope of the work would be to show by actual demon- 
stration experiments the value of better cultural methods, the value of early matur- 
ing varieties, and the value and necessity for a complete and thorough destruction of 
the infested material. ‘he work should not only be carried on in the region where 
the weevil at present exists, but should be inaugurated elsewhere, so as to bring to the 
attention of practical farmers the value of the work in advance of the threatened 
invasion of the insect. To carry out this work in a thoroughly practical manner, 
over an extensive territory commensurate with the importance of the subject, would 
require the first year an expenditure of $50,000. This line of work has already been 
pretty fully developed by the Division of Entomology, and Doctor Howard will dwell 
