The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-04-12
Farmers should not be alarmed at

FARMERS SnOulu INV W
| the great numbers of boil worms in
the roasting ears of the trap rows.
| When once about half grown h
| crowded condition makes cannibals
| of them, and the strongest devour
| the weakest. Before long only a sim
| gle full grown worm is found in each
| ear. Hence, the value of a few row
only, and of compelling the greaest
crowded condition.
1t should be remembered that serf-
Gus boil worm attack of cotton does
| not occur until late in the season
| after the main crop has matured. For
this reason it will be important, and
a great advantage if early fruiting
and maturing varieties of cotton are
planted. Plant these as early as pos
| sible, and force the cotton into early
fruitage, and a fair crop may be set
and made sure Of before the boil
worm begins its greatest attack on
the crop.
Following the summer campaign
just outlined, it is to be urged that
a winter campaign of early winter
blowing be inaugurated. This breaks
up the pupal cells in which the boil
worm in most instances passes tlV
winter stage as a chrysalis and
matches out as a moth in the spring.
Winter blowing should be followed
by narrowing both ways early in
| spring with the heavy disc harrrows.
This turns up and breaks up any pu-
| pal cells which were missed by win
ter blowing, and will give the cold
| winter rains and alternate thawing
and freezing a chance to destroy any
living chrysalis, which would produce
the boil worm moth a little later.
The dying of cotton in patches is
caused by a specific fungus which at
tacks the tips of the roots, and grad
ually works up until the entire root
is involved and destroyed. Then sud-
denly the planter sees his cotton die,
almost at once. Heavy midsummer
| rains, with hot, sunshiny weather,
hastens this action and the dying of
the cotton.
This fungus attacks sweet potatoes,
pear and apple trees, umbrella China
trees and a long list of other plants.
1t is remarkable, however, that no
member of the grass family, such as
wheat, oats, corn, millet and sorghum
are affected. These crops being inn
mune, the farmers can %renovate their
lands and rid their soils of this fun
gus by using these crops in rotation.
Lands infested with this fungus
should be planted in corn this season,
and thoroughly and frequently Gull
tivated and kept clear of all weeds
except the grasses. Cookie burs are
especially Objectionable. Later in the
season a heavy crop of crab grass
often develops, but that is not espec.
tally Objectionable from the stand
point of the fungus, as the fungus
will not develop upon it. The next
year SOW oats or wheat or some SIM
liar crop to follow corn. Crops sown
broadcast should be sown very thick,
so as to keep down all other weeds
except the grasses. If the field has
not been badly infested for some
years with the fungus, the two years
cropping as indicated will largely, if
not entirely starve out the fungus,
and it will be safe to plant the land
in cotton the third year. If the land
has been infested badly for a number
of years it will be we'll to raise an
other grain or corn crop, and follow
with cotton the fourth year. This
Ill - IL $1,000 -A -.1-
the fungus by actually starving it
out.
Heavy applications of common salt.
well pulverized, will also kill the fun
gus. In December, before blowing
the lands, give a dressing broadcast
of about 700 pounds of salt per acre,
and pillow under well. Then in spring
when the land is plowed again, give
another dressing of the same amount
and ploy or harrow in again. Guilt
vate well. The second year give Sim
liar treatment and applications, and
the fungus will be gradually killed
out. This method is feasible where
cotton must be grown on the land
each year in succession, and the crop
rotation is not possible.
By the rotation system only a por-
ton of the farm can be treated at a
time, but if the system is kept up
for a period of three or four years
the whole farm can be renovated and
the fungus starved out. No system of
farming is so injurious, or exhausts
the soil SO rapidly, or encourages in
sect pests to such an extent as the
constant cropping of one crop on the
land for a number of years without
intermission. Rotation on the 9th
er hand maintains soil fertility, and
largely helps to keep the lands free
from fungus and insect pests.-Prof.
Frad w MALAY in Tayas Farm apd