September, 1908.] 



265 



Miscellaneous, 



Stonewall, La., Dec. 13th, 1907. 



Dear Sir, — Having spent twenty-five 

 years in paying for cotton lands and a 

 cotton gin, and otherwise getting in 

 shape to grow and handle cotton to 

 advantage, we have studied and watched 

 with deep interest every moment which 

 was calculated to relieve us from the 

 ravages of the boll weevil, and now we 

 write to thank you and Mr. Cowden 

 (agent) for the work done in this com- 

 munity in the way of establishing 

 demonstration farms this year. We 

 feel sure this is the best manner to 

 reach most of our people, who have 

 grown skeptical of book farming, but 

 are easily convinced by a practical appli- 

 cation of your methods. We have tried 

 your plans for two years, and think it 

 our only hope to outwit the boll weevil. 



Trusting you may be able to continue 

 your work in our parish next year. 



We are, with regards, 



Yours truly, 



J. M. & M. G. Nelson. 



The Business Men's League of Helena, 



Helana, Ark., January 11th, 1908. 



Dear Sir,— Our league has on foot a 

 movement to increase the production 

 per acre of cotton and corn in this 

 section. 



Two years ago an experiment was con- 

 ducted under the immediate care of 

 Messrs. E. D. Pillow and H. (i. Ste- 

 phens, one of your representatives 

 having a general supervision of the 

 experiment. No fertilizer was used, but 

 the cultural methods adopted proved 

 wonderfully beneficial and a large yield 

 of cotton resulted. During the season 

 just past, Mr. Stephens conducted an 

 experiment upon his own behalf, using 

 nitrate of soda as a fertilizer for cotton 

 and cotton-seed meal for corn. He has 

 made us a report which we will miblish, 

 and that, together with a letter from 

 Mr. E. D. Pillow, will be mailed by us to 

 about 1,000 farmers in this section. * * * 

 We would also ask your co-operation 

 iu this matter, and would like to know 

 if it would be possible to secure the 

 services of a representative of the Agri- 

 cultural Department to make a tour on 

 inspection at short intervals for the 

 purpose of aiding these farmers by way 

 of instruction and general information. 

 The experiment would be more apt to 

 prove profitable if some one would make 

 the rounds, and let it be known in ad- 

 vance that an inspection would be made. 



34 



Kindly write us fully upon this subject, 

 and tell us to what extent and in what 

 manner you can aid us in this movement. 



Yours truly, 



E. C. Hornor. 



Conclusion. 



It has been proved by our co-operative 

 demonstration work that by following 

 the instructions of the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry a good crop of cotton can be 

 raised in the worst-infested boll-weevil 

 districts and despite the ravages of this 

 pest. It is possible that the future may 

 discover some better method of meeting 

 the boll-weevil problems, but experience 

 has shown that the method outlined is 

 the only safe one at present. The boll- 

 weevil has now covered a large portion 

 of Texas, Louisiana, Arkanas, Oklahoma, • 

 and several counties in Mississippi. It 

 is annually invading new territory with 

 a column 600 miles long and in numbers 

 sufficient to cover every stalk of cotton 

 to a width of 30 miles. A cotton crop 

 can be produced despite the boll-weevil, 

 and the sooner American farmers face 

 the situation the better it will be for all 

 concerned. To demonstrate the truth 

 of this theory is one object of the 

 Farmers' Co-operative Demonstration 

 Work. 



In the foregoing pages have been 

 mentioned only some of the lines of 

 demonstration which have been under- 

 taken for rural uplifting. The results 

 have far exceeded our expectations, and 

 the farmers have accepted the work 

 gratefully and have co-operated to the 

 best of their ability in every under- 

 taking. It is along such lines as these 

 that great economies can be practised and 

 valuable reforms wrought for the better- 

 ment of rural conditions and for solving 

 the problems of the farm. — U. S. Depart- 

 ment of A griculture, Farmers' Bulletin 

 319, April 6, 1908. 



PASSIPLORA F03TIDA. 



The use of this plant as a covering for 

 the ground to keep down weeds— especi- 

 ally lalang or illuk grass— is rapidly 

 spreading in the Malay States. As a 

 good many people take for granted that 

 it does not grow in Ceylon, it may be 

 well to point out that it is one of our 

 commoner weeds. It is a native of 

 America, introduced long ago into 

 Ceylon and Malaya, and is everywhere 

 common in Ceylon, especially in the dry 

 country. It is easily known, being a small 

 whitish passion-flower with the flower 

 surrounded by moss-like much-divided 

 leaves.— Ed, 



