The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-26
TO PREVENT BLACK HEART.
IMMUNE COTTON SEED DEVELOPED
"a Al VALDOSTA.

Experiments of United States De-
partment of Agriculture There in
Developing n Sea Island Cotton
Immune to "WiIt" or "BIack
Heart" Very Successful-The I'm
mune Successfully Grown Along
side of the Diseased Cotton.
Valdosta, Ga, July 25.-The United
States Department of Agriculture has
been making some experiments near
Valdosta this year. the result of which
mers of the sea island cotton belt. The
experiments have been conducted quiet
Iy, but the result has been so satisfac-
tory that they are now given to the
public.
The experiments were to see II wilt
in cotton, and the result is that seed
have been obtained that are totally inn
mune to these diseases. Prof. VIII
liam A. Orion, assistant pathologist OF
the department, who was In this sec
ton making some Investigations as tc
the cause OIL the ulEtdSC ldSl year, wa
in the city again this week, looking
after the experiments which have been
made through his advice by farmers
here.
Prof Orion told your correspondent
how the department has succeeded in
getting the resistent, or immune seed.
From an infected field of cotton a
number of the healthiest and most
Vigorous plants were taken, and the
seed from these plants were planted
the following season in soil that
showed no signs of infection. This
process was continued the second and
third years, with the result that a
practically immune cotton has been
secured. The process has been on the
line of breeding the seed being
carried up to the highest quality OF
healthfulness by careful cultivation.
The experiments here were tried on
Mr.. 7. c. Smiths place, seed having
been sent to him by Prof. orion.
MIR Smith planted the seed in a field
that was very prevalent with black
heart" last year. TO make the test
more thorough he was instructed to
plant the resistent seed by the side of
nonresident, or diseased seed. An ex-
animation this week shows that the
immune seed has no trace of the dis
ease, presenting a uniformly vigorous
and healthy appearance, while the
other is thoroughly infected by the dis
ease.
Prof. orion says that the expert
ments which the department has. made
in other sections show that the only
hope of the farmers in getting rid of
the disease, where it has once cotton
q foothold, is by the use of seed that
has been made immune by this system
of development. The disease has made
it's appearance in recent years and has
causd great losses to cotton planters
who were ignorant of the proper way
to treat it. The disease is said to be
of fungus origin and remains in the
soil for a number of years. In expert
ments by the department, it was known
TO make It's appearance after seven
years, the land having been planted in
other crops in the meantime. Prof. Or
ton regards "blacls heart" as the dead
Hest enemy of cotton and one with
which the farmers cannot afford to
trifle. If allowed to go unchecked, he
thinks it will, in a few years, ravage
the sea island cotton fields as it has
the upland fields in some sections of
Alabama and other cotton growing
states.
Prof orion expects to return to Val
dosta in October and will endeavor to
secure the names of all farmers who
have been afflicted with this disease IN
their cotton, with view to furnishing
them a limited amount of immune seed
free of cost, for next years planting
and for the purpose of securing i'm
mune seed next year. He believes,
however that it is in the power of
every farmer to improve his seed by
careful and intelligent selection of
seed.
Mr.. Orion also had an experiment in
planting Egyptian cotton tried in this
section this year. He sent a lot of seed
to Mr. Smith for the purpose of maxi
Ing a test, but the result leads to the
conclusion that the Egyptian staple Is
rot adapted to the soil and climate of
this section. There appears to be too
much moisture In the atmosphere, pro
ducing a large woody plant, with little
fIuit upon it. The tests that have been
made in Texas and along the Mexican
border are said to have been much
more satisfactory. This was expected,
az it was known here that the finer
staple Of sea island cotton grows to
perfection in the low lands of Georgia
end Florida, while the staple becomes
shorter the higher up 1t is planted.
THE ABBOT AND THE MONK.