Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-08-06

lsts report in the sixth annual report
ieNas Agricultural Experiment station.
Another nelghbor had small piece
OF lahd IN which the cotton all died
before maturing any bolls. He planted
II In sorghum two years in succession
ana the next year 1t produced a fine
crop OF cotton, none of 1t dying"
FURTHER on In the same report
another correspondent says: 81 have
experimental with salt in drills three
years ana have had good results. First
tried U on piece Of ground where all
the cotton had died the year before;
lost with salt about 10 per cent. The
second year with the use OF salt about
per cent, the third year about 2 per
cent Another report: HAD one acre
OF land on which the cotton all died.
IN December OF that year sowed salt
broadcast about like a big morning
Iiost, and then turned the land over.
me next year only about per cent of
the cotton died. Slowed In salt the
following fall and the succeeding year
lost no cotton at all from root rot"
Upon these data the chemist summar-
izes on page iO1 OF the same report as
lollows: 1t Is doubtful II fertilizers
in general give any real benefit. OK
cept,. perhaps, to induce a stronger
ana more vigorous plant, better able
TO resist disease, at the same time
making II mature earlier or shorten
ing the time OF growth. Funglcides
or antiseptlcs, harmless to plant life
are likely to give better results than
ordinary fertilizers. Common salt
may prove beneficial in this direction.
but OF course the continued application
OF the common salt to the soil must be
attended with the utmost care, as 1t
is Itself In time sure to injure the soil
U II aecumulates In any great quantity.
Whlle THIS Is written especially for the
case of cotton, still 1t shows what can
be OF service as check to disease
germs themselves, and by a judicious
selection and adaptation the orchard
LIST Will find these statements almost
equally serYlceable.
Beyond question the safest and only
certain procedure is to plant the in
Tested land in such orchard stock as
nonsusceptible, and Of which we have
two examples In the plum and peach.
| The resisting qualities Of these two
fruits in repelling the attacks OF this
disease has already been mentioned
The reasons submitted for again
calling attention to the host of plants
and treatment for root rot apply equal
ly to that of root gals, produced by
the little nematode worm-heterodera
radiclcola. The following then is "A
list OF the host plants as tabulated by
Professor Atkinson in his studies upon
| this parasite:
.
TO. tomato, egg plant physalls. abuu-
! Ion, cotton, okra, sida, modiOla, coffee
! weed, cowpea, Japan clover, birds
I foot clover, melitotus, lpomoea, clema-
It's, phytolacca, sunflower, watermelon,
nutmeg melon" cltron, beet, spine
less careless weed, worm seed, corn,
cabbage, turnlp. rutabaga, horehound,
| parsnlp, lettuce and satisfy. OF this
list thirty-siX host plants the follow
! ing are especially susceptible, and are
| most infected II there Is opportunity for
choice. Potato, tomato abutilon sp.,
cowpea, birds foot clover, sunnower
watermelon, nutmeg melon" or "cit-
ROM cabbage, rutabaga, parsnip, sal
| slfy and cotton. Thirteen of the
thirty-siN. quite long list Of choice
| food plants for the parasites, many
OF which are only too frequently found
cultivated between orchard rows. This
is a most Vicious practice in infested
| localities.
DIR, Neal in his bulletin 20 adds the
following hos. plants to those given by
Professor Atkinson.
Uncultlvated plants which are but
slightly attacked: ShsrSSrd's purse
| blackberry, dewberry, sourNern dog
| fennel cypress vine. The following
are badly Infested upon occasion:
Purslane, sand purslane Verbeslna,
NORWOOD, Jerusalem oak, careless
weed. OF the cultivated plants DR..
| Neal adds the following: Pepper spin
| ish, cnssava, radlsh, pea, peanut, kale,
squashes, and cucumbers. Among the
ornamentals he includes two species
| Of the hibiscus, several Elephants, par
| lor Ivy, morning glory, petunia gourd,
| begonia, colous. dahlia, iberis, koniga,
achyfantes, nolana, buddleia and bous-
| singaultia, together with several
species of splrea, two OF the Towering
almond, anu the Cape Jessamlne.
Among other shrubs and fruit trees he
| further adds the following: Bitter
sweet orange, various species of
orange and lemon, prunes myrobo-
lanus, and prunus domestica (plum.
| black walnut, prunus armeniaca zap
| rlcoD, prunus communis (almond), En-
| gllsh walnut and several species Of
willow,
TREATMENT AND REMEDIES.
We noted last year the exceeding
rapidlty with which this parasite null
tiplics If the soil be kept under per-
fectly clean cultivation their most
rapid Increase will be checked. Re-
fuse plants of the garden left standing
after all the marketable products have
been taken away Is a most vicious
practice, and should be replaced with
the habit OF pulling up such grOwths
and burning them, leaving the soil
clear Of all susceptible roots, Pro-
fessor Atkinson states that the most
badly infested grape cuttings he ever
saw were those grown very near dis
eased cabbages and tomatoes. The
greatest care should be exercised with
the cultivation of those plants, as also
TIC Irish potato. The latter forms
even n more prolific source OF infec-
ton in some portions Of Texas where
much of the seed for planting is i'm
ported and their origin is unknown to
the purchaser. Texas gardeners and
agrlculturists should see to It that they
grow their own seed potatoes on un-
Infected soil and keep clear of danger.
If roots are ever used in making COM
posts great caution should be eNer-
clsed since non-infected soil may be-
come infected in this way. The COM
post may be rendered lnocuous by
placing unslacked lime in layers with
the infected refuse Of plants used In
the compost,
Great care must be exercised In the
cultivation OF perennials like the grape,
peach or fig. The young trees should
be gotten from sources known TO be
free from disease. The orchard soil
should be kept free from infection by
keeping up clean cultivation OF non,
susceptible crops and the practice OF
cultivatlng susceptible garden crops
between rows should be abolished
Young trees and seedlings are more
seriously affected than older trees SC
far as the actual life of the tree Is con