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Saturday, August 17, 2019

Boll Weevil's Headed North, Take Lesson From Alabama, Says J.R. Sams, Aug. 15, 1919

From the Polk County News and the Tryon Bee, August 15, 1919

Polk County Farm and Home Department

By J.R. Sams, County Agent

This week we will devote a part of space to a talk with Polk county farmers about our trip to Alabama. It came in this way Dr. C.C. Cary, Dean of the Alabama State College of Agriculture, invited your County (grass crank) agent to attend the farmers convention which met at Auburn Alabama on Aug. 4, 5, and 6 to address the farmers of that state on clover, grasses and permanent pastures. Of course the temptation was too strong and I went and I desire to give the farmers of Polk county some of my impressions from observations while there.

First, the Alabama people are just folks, like Polk county folks. They consist of men, women, boys, girls, children and even babies, like our babies. They breathe, drink water, eat, and wear clothes, just as we here in Polk county do. They also live in houses, have school houses, churches, live along public and private roads as we do. All this calls for money to supply these things, so they are taxed, just like we are, and consequently must work and grow crops to put on the market to bring in this money, just as we do.

Their crops are corn, cotton, oats, what, sweet potatoes, watermelon, etc., about as ours. But their main money crop is classed with the boll weevil, and by the way, this was my first introduction to this unfriendly gentleman. He does not operate as I had thought he did. The moth deposits the egg in the bloom, (which) closes him up and when the boll is something longer than a garden pea, it hatches and bores into the little boll and becomes a grub or maggot and then turns into another moth to produce another generation ad libium, (Latin; means at one’s pleasure or as you desire), so the result is, the cotton stalk produce no cotton except for the lower limbs that bloom before the weevil moth makes its appearance. This little enemy to cotton has somewhat upset the plans of the cotton planter, which puts him to thinking along right lines and about right things. Many farmers while there told me the boll weevil was the greatest blessing that had ever come to their state. That it had persuaded them to do in a few years what the department and experiment stations never could persuade them to do—that is to grow live stock and diversify their farm crops.

This they are doing, way down South, further than Charleston, S.C. They are growing hogs and cattle successfully, and they are so anxious to learn every thing possible about building permanent pastures, they already have better pastures than Polk county farmers. They have some red clay, and some gullies, pines, blackberry briars, weeds and etc. just like yours, and alders, willows are along branches; but not as bad as Polk county. One thing they do not have in great abundance, and that is beautiful, sparkling clear running water. Now in all candor, I want to ask, why should Polk farmers wait before they go after permanent pastures and the growing of stock until the boll weevil comes and makes him do a thing. If worth doing and a thing which ought to be done, I prefer to do it voluntarily to being made to do it as the Germans were made to quit fighting.

The weevil is on his way and in a few years will be here. Then what will you do for a money crop?
Why not begin now and do like Mississippi and Alabama, or why not learn the lesson in advance and get busy, go to making permanent pastures and adding live stock? They are sowing their rich bottoms to permanent pastures and building up their worn out upland for corn and cotton.

I know there is already a strong and growing sentiment in Polk county along this line, but it should work faster. The fact that grass seeds are high is no reason for not pushing ahead, for they will go higher. The very fact that people everywhere are doing this thing increases the demand for them and runs the price up.

Alabama is shipping pure bred bulls, both beef and dairy, into the state by hundreds and only a few years ago the entire state was tick infested. I beg you to think, and think fast and seriously. I will not be with you long as your agent and I want to see Polk county well on the way with pastures and fine cattle before I leave. Now with the very best wishes for every man, woman and child in Polk county and a burning desire to serve you to the very best of my ability,

I am yours faithfully
J.R. Sams, County Agent.

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