The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1901-01-30
PREVENTIVE MEASURES.

SotsSh p'oos
PREVENTIVE MEASURES.
In the cotton wilt, as in many other
plant diseases, certain preveutive OF
palliative measures, based on our
kro.ledge Of tho way the disease
spreads, are very important. These are
as follows:
1. Rotation Of Crops Land once in
footed with this disease has never been
freed from it. 1t is important, there
fore, that such land should not be
planted for several years to okra or any
variety of cotton subject to this dis
ease. Tho length Of time the fungus
will live in the soil is not yet deter
mined, but four years rest has proved
sufficient in severa! cases. Other
crops, as corn, oowpeas, ca obsge, water
melon, eto.-msy, it is believed, be
planted on this land with safety.
The greatest spread Of the wilt dis
ease is by the direct growth of the fuu.
gus through tho soil from diseased to
healthy areas. On this account an area
considerably larger than that on which
the plants are wilted Oh ,uld be included
in this rotation.
2 Removal Of Diseased Plants.
other important sources Of infection is
the diseased plants themselves. The
fungus produces on the dead stems and
roots great numbers OF spores, which
are carried to other places in . variety
OF ways. All diseased plants should be
pulled and burned as soon as discover
ed, so as to prevent tho dispersion Of
the fungus spores which will finally
cover them.
8 Avoidance Of Spread by CATTLE,
Tools, Eto.-The writer's observations
in various places in South Carolina dur
ing tho past two years lead him to be
lieve that cattle gazing in tho fields
spread the disease. They should not
be allowed to pass freely from infected
areas to healthy fields, and would be
better not to pasture sucs infected
fields. Tools should be carefully
cleaned after oultivating tho disease d
land. To insure complete destruction
Of tho spores Of the wilt fungus, "a ,h
tools shonld be secured clean and then
wsshed with . 2 per cent solution Of
@ifi'; Gs e. : Gsr >esTb 5fia acid
solution.
4. Care of the Compost Hesp.-The
fun gus is sometimes introduced into the
barnyard aud compost heap, SO that the
manure becomes . source OF general
Infection to heslthy fields. The utmost
care should be taken to keep diseased
plants out of the manure, and if there
arc any Indications that such plants
have found their way into the manure,
all such manure and compost should be
used on land where cotton will never
be planted.
There is no objection to the use OF
stable manure which does not contain
the spores OF the cotton wilt fungus,
but experience has shown that in the
case of the closely allied watermelon
wilt fungus g barnyard once infect.
will remain so for many years, and tha,
all manure taken out Of it will be like
ly to spresd the disease. The same il
probably true Of the cotton wilt fun
/ gus.
The most encouraging results have
come from the endesvor OF the depart
men. to q ad q race of cotton which cau
| be grown on the Infected lands. There
arc always some plants in every field
which resist the disease to q CRATER Of
less extent, and il quently happens
that of two plants 10 the same hill
equally exposed to infection. one vii
die and the other live to the end Of tn,
season. All degrees Of resistance msJ
be found, from plants nearly killed BY
the wilt disease to those entirely
healthy. The latter are comparatively
uncommon, however.
| Different races Of cotton vary cousi1
erably In their susceptibility to the vii
disease. This was shown BY an expert
meut carried out by .he department OF
the farm of Mr.. Fl. L. Galloway, at Dbl
Ion. 8. O.
1t will be seen that some of the bes
kinds are among those most injured b!
this disease; but there were one o
more plants in each race that entirely
withstood the disease, and the seet
from these has been saved with the In
tontion OF securing valuable resistan
strains by GROSS breeding them.
The ability Of certain cotton plants t,
grow on infected land is due to the fac
that tho wilt fungus is unable to en.e
their principal root system and not t,
any lack of infection. This has beer
determined by microscopic examination
That Infection Of those plants has real
ly taken place may be demonstl ated b,
an examination Of their roots for tn,
little tRtts OF rootlsts which mark tn,
location Of infections. The ROOFS o
plants taken from the row Of Jsnno
Witch cotton were attacked by the fun
gus In ever hundred PAGES, as foua