The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-25
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST To FARM
Err AND HOUSEWIFE.

Improved Sugar Cane-The WINTER
Observation-Disclosures for the South.
The United States Department of Agri-
culture has just issued Farmers Bulle-
tin No. 127. The subject matter is time
ly, as 1t is devoted to insecticides, and
gives easily understood directions for
their preparation and application.
Time and again we have stated In this
column that there was, in our opinion,
no more important subject for the intel
ligent farmer, the twentieth century
farmer" than the one that concerns the
protection of his crops from disease and
insects. OF late years it has come TO
the fore as one of the most vital i'm
portance. The time has come to the
Southern farmer, and by farmer is meant
| every one who cultivates the soil or de-
ponds upon its direct product for his
| living, when he must consider the provid-
ing of remedies against disease and insect
as essential as providing the materials
of fertiiizing, or the implements of cultl-
walton. That is he must know where he
can lay his hands, at a minutes notice,
on the materials that may be necessary
to be used on the very first suggestion
of blight, or the first appearance of an
insect foe. OF course he must first COM
prehend fully what are the dangers that
threaten. If he has had no experience at
all of these evil influences he has certain
ly been fortunate.
1t is true fortunately that the farmers
of the South Atlantic region have not
yet had the misfortune to encounter eth
er insect or disease operating seriously
any one year against their staple crops
that are their main reliance-exclusive
reliance we may say with the large num-
Der. Neither cotton, corn, oats nor sweet
potatoes has had separately or collective
ly, an epidemic disease of general preva-
lence, nor has there been any
wholesale or totally destructive at
tack of insects upon any of them. The
yield of all these crops has been cut off
more or less for some years by disease
or insect, but thus far there has been no
general epidemic of fatal disease or in
sects in destructive numbers for a long
time.
The boil worm and the root rot the bud
worm, stalk borer, the rust, the smut,
and several other minor causes are con-
stantly operating against these our sta
pies, but only in exceptional instances
have they effected total or very serious
| destruction in any extended locality. They
may, however, be justly regarded as a
menace of dire consequences sooner or
later.
In the past few years there has been a
decided increase of evil influences to be
set the way of the trucker and fruit
grower in the South, influences that had
not existed before. Only the last year
did the Colorado potato beetle appear IN
destructive numbers. For the first time
in Middle Georgia, and only two years
ago had asparagus rust been encountered
for the first time. Potato blight and to-
mato blight is of very recent appearance.
eiso in Middle Georgia, and naturally,
may be looked for in increased malig-
nancy the coming season.
The San Jose and other scales are
widely spread now in the South.
Atmospheric conditions influence the
virulence of bacterial diseases-"rust,"
smut, blight. rot" whatever it
may be called.
There is hardly a cultivated plant now
but what has its ''blight," its one or more
insects ready 10 devour it, Look at the
peach, with its glanderous or consump-
tive 'yellows," at the plum with it's
black knot and scale, the grape, with It's
mildew, rot and half dozen insects, the
small grains with their rusts and smuts
and flies" and army worms" in fact.
every vegetable of the garden or truck
field. each with Its rust or blight or rot
and insects.
we are of those who believe that the
equilibrium of nature has been vastly dis
turoed one way and another, and ID is ex-
hibiting itself in increased insects and
diseases, in unreasonable hot and cold
waves with increased capacity for evil
and in other effects.
Some of the causes we may not even
suspect, but forest destruction, bird life
destruction, exhaustion of humus from
the soil, excessive crossing and hybridiza-
ton with a view to securing earliness
and rapidity of maturity and change of
habit are some of the more than suspect
ed causes for some evil effects, and there
are some others.
Evidently something is wrong, though
we may not understand exactly what the
trouble is About the best that most of
us can do Is simply to recognize and adj
NIT the fact that Mature is out of gear
but not from causes for which she is
responsible. 1t has been the needless and
witless work of man. He has been too
greedy.
Science or the knowing of things
comes to our aid and helps us to avert or
modify some of the consequences that
have resulted from these violations of ma
ture, but II does involve intelligent effort
and much labor that may be begrudged.
But medical treatment, even with spe-
cihcs, is not invariably successful. Anti
toxine does not cure every case OF diph-
iberia, nor cream. of tartar every case
of smallpox Remedies in time lose their
effects.
1t will require intelligence and energy
and prompt energy at that-for the
twentieth century cultivator to meet all
the conditions that will confron thin hence
forth. He will have to acquire, It is almost
certain. a knowledge of phydrocyanic
acid, of paris green. bordeaux mixture,
corrosive sublimate, formalin bi-sulpide
OF carbon. pyrethrum and perhaps other
things that II has not been necessary for
him to have any acquaintance with here
tofore. Let him proceed without delay to
study up on fungicides and insecticides
and when and how TO use them. He may
soon have a more serious need for them
even with his cotton. corn, oats and po-
tatoes, as we'll as for the fruits and vege-
tables.
We would that we could reach and inn
press many Thousands of farmers as to
the great Importance of the subject. not
to alarm or discourage In any way, but 20
excite TO intelligent effort for meeting the
danger that threatens. The whole world
is interested in It. Farming must be kept
up despite all the evil influences and dis