The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1901-01-09
TIE WILT DISEASE.
Some Interesting.,Facts About the
New Cotton Blight,
oeINTsREsT TO FARMERS
investigation OF the Blight In
South Carolina Fislds by
the United States
Government.

Government.
The United States Department Of
Agriculture has just published, as but
letin No. q Of the Division Of Iegeia-
bic Physiology and Pathology, the re-
port Of ". A. Octon associate pathoh
gist of the division, on the su'Ject OF
the wilt disease Of cotton, blight tha'
has wrought great havoc II the sea
;sIanS cotton fields and has attacked
aome upland cotton districts n Sou:h
Csrolina. Mr. Oclon snd Dr.. E:Tln
T Smith, whose report on the same
subj cot is referred to in this latest bull
letin, visited this section last year and
spent considerable time in studying the
disease and searching for remedy:
The report is accompanied by several
plates showing the effeor of the disease
on fields Of cotton il has attacked.
Mr.. Otton says the wilt disease is
now known to occur on the coast Of
South Carolina, where it attacks the
fne sea island cotton, aud at Dillioa,
Salters, anG other places in the same
State, where it attacks upland cotton.
Prof. T. S. 3arle, Of the State ex
pertinent station, reports 1t to be wide,
ly distributed in Alabama, particularly
in the southern part, aad states that II
is undoubtedly growing worse from
year to year. 1t has been reported
from many localities in Georsis, and IS
known to occur in Florida and ArSan
sas. 1t is certain that this dis ase Is
widely distributed through the South,
ern States, and it is probable that it
occurs in many places where it has not
yet been distin guisn ned from Other trou
bles. such as rust aad the effects Of
lightning.
The annual loss from the wilt disease
is very considerable, 1t is more keen
ly felt by the Individual planters than
most cotton troubles, because the dis
ease remains in the soil and groT
worse, with eaca succeeding crop "a
the ses islands of South Carolina alone
careful estimate indicates that nearly,
if not quite, one-third Of the land
plsnted to high grade cotton is affected
BY this disease, the larger portion Of 1t
SO badly that it is no longer profitable
to plant it iu cotton. The loss to the
planters Of upland cotton in areas af-
fecte6 and the disease is spreading rap
tionally great. Ga one farm in Dillon,
s. c., where the department has been
conducting some experiments, fifteen
acres of fine land srs already affected
and the disease is spresling rapidly Oh
this and adjoining plantations.
The importance Of the disease, how
ever, does not lie SO much in the
amount Of the present loss as in the
danger of its future increase, for 1t must
ultimately spread so muca IS to entail
far greater losses ard possibly threaten
the life of The industry unless the
methods for It's control are pertec;ed.
The wilt is verv distinct from any
other disease OF cotton, SO that there
need be 10 difficulty in It's identified:
tion. 1t usually makes 1t first appear
snce in the spring about the last OF May,
when the pants are six to eight inches
high. 1t appears in well defined areas,
which enls1ge if cotton is planted on
the same land again, The first outward
indication of its presence Is g oEarfeo
growth and unhealthy appearance OF
the plants. The leaves turn yellow be
tween the veins, their margins shrlvsl
up, aud some plants wilt aud die al once.
In other plants the progress Of the
disease is often slow, and many of them
live the entire summer and die late IN
the season. Dc cutting across the stem
Of diseased plant, the woody part
will be found to be stained brown
wherever the disaaseis present. In the
absence of micro scopic examinations.
this brown discoloratlon Of the internal
tissue is the best ocular evidence of the
presence Of the wilt disease. Plants
may partially recover from severe at
tack of the wilt disease by the develop
ment Of strong lsteral branches near
the grouoG. Such plaats may be dis
tinguished by thei1 dEaIfed and bushy
appearance aud by the tendency of their
branches to lie PROSTATE on the ground
The cause of the wilt disease Of Cot
ton is fungus, neocosmospors vasln
fec,a (Atk } Erw. Sm, winch attacks
the plants from the soil |. first enters
the smaller roots and subs, quenuy
grows from these into the laprUVt and
stem, filing the water ducts with its
nyce hum. The result Is that The sup
ply OF FOOD and moisture carried up
from the roots IS greatly decreased anu
the symptoms described above are pro
6uced. The nature of the fungus mas
been fully discussed in bulletin No. II
Of this division, aud 1t Will not be ne
cessary to enter into details here, but
only to outline the sutjcc, snd 10 re-
cord some additions 10 oar knowledge.
The progress of the disease is always
sloR as compared with that Of other
plant diseases. The period Of lncuoa.
tion, or the time elapsiug after the
young Seeding IS exposed 10 the at,
tacks Of the fungus aEo before the els
ease becomes manifest, IS usually at
least fo7,y DAY S and uflen much longer
Much depends OF the Individual plant
itself. TAe cotdItiCns which fayor the
progress Of tie tuOgu through the plant
slc not fully understood, ouG from some
observations that have been made 1t Is
believed that bIghly fertilized plants,
groRlny vigorously, succuno more
poorer than those which have grown on
readily soil
In the early history OF the wilt dis
ease the cause va, supposed by the
planters to be the excessive applica
tlons or iDiudicious use Of commercial
fertilizers, AID many Of the lcaaing
planters in tie sea Islands made care
full experiments with Various modl6-
cations of their fertl!.ze5s, such as the
use of mari, salt mud, KANT, and lime,
o,6 "a Cf the