The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-07-31
WILT" in COTTON LAND
w. A. ORION TALKS OF HIS E.
PERIMENTS.
Agent Of Government Agricultural
Department Combats Disease
by Resistent Plant-Visited
Montgomery Farm.

William A. orion, assistant patholog1St
OF the Bureau of Plant Industry of the
United States Agricultural Department
spent yesterday in Montgomery. He Is
in the South for the purpose of expert
menting with the view to eradicatng
wilt from cotton lands and while here
visited the farm Of M. c.. Scott ad-
jacent to the city.
wilt" is caused by fungus in the soil
A parasite from this fungus enters the
root Of the cotton plant and grows up
ward into the stem. This parasite clogs
up the stem and stops the plants natural
act OF drinking and acquiring sustenance.
The disease is insidous and persistent.
1t is in reality a disease of cotton land.
rather than of the cotton plant. Once
established the disease attacks every
cotton crop planted on the land affected
with wilt
The disease has become menace and a
periM to cotton growing in-Alabama,
Georgia, North Carolina. South Carolina,
Mississippi anpd Louisiana. The first APP
pearance was made in South Carolina and
then the warfare against 1t first began.
To assist the farmers of that State in
their fight against the destructive disease
Congress made a liberal approprfatfo
The experiments to find a remedy that
would eradicate the disease began { n
land in South Carolina upon which Sea
Island or long staple cotton was grown.
This work was undertaken and 1t has been
pursued by Mr.. Orton who is one of the
best known plant experts i'll the country.
The warfare waged on wilt" in South
Carolina developed a resistent plant which
would eradicate the wilt" fungus from
the land
The remedy is not instantaneous. Tie
resistent plant which eradcates the
"wilt'' fungus may require two or three
years to do it's work, but there is
decided improvement in the crop from the
very first 1t is said large areas in
South Carolina have been uncultivated
for several years as growing cotton upon
it. was Impossible. The remedy found by
the experiments of the Agricultural De-
partment has largely reclaimed these I'M
cultivated lands
The resistent plant which eradicates
wilt is the cotton plant which is as
nearly as possible immune from the at
tacks of the disease. This ulant is
grown from seeds selected from the
healthiest cotton grown in fungus in
fected soil. Ali the cotton plants are
not killed on soil affected by wilt and
the seeds from the surviving plants are
preserved and planted on the Same soil
the year following Within three years
at the outside, the soil is normal and
healthy.
Mr.. Orton has been spending several
days at Troy. Near Troy he has four
acres planted in immune cotton which is
being carefully watched and cultivated.
He was met yesterday morning fy M.
C. Scott who carried him to the Scott
plantation three miles north Of Montgom-
Ary where some immune cotton is grow
ing.
Mr., Orton talks most Interestingly of
his work and his research. lie had
found from his experiments in South
Carolina with Sea Island cotton that any
farmer can grow tho immune cotton
plant OF all varieties Of upland cotton
he found that the Jackson variety was
the only one which developed the neces-
sary qualities of resistance.
The jackson variety is not entirely
immune said Mr.. orion but 1t Is
more nearly so than any other upland
variety have developed variety from
the Jackson which is much better tnsn
the original. In all respects the Egyptian
variety is the best, but It is not sutta-
BILE for this climate, requiring as 1t does
absolutely dry atmospheric conditions
1T have Sea Island cotton planted in
all the States where the disease prevails
except in Alabama where I have upland
planted At Troy have about 100 selec-
tons OF about twenty varieties. 7 am
much pleased with what I found there.
The weather has been so dry there that
It has made as good showing as 1t would
otherwise have done. I have four acres
planted there on w. B. Folmar's place
have been noting results, selecting rows
and plants for next year and I hope 10
secure a large amount for next year to
distribute among the farmers / will ar
range to have 1t grown next year by the
most careful farmers and will distribute
the seed freely.
at found practically no result from the
cotton on Mr.. SCOTS place. but l hope
TO find some by the time I return in Au-
gust and October. have crops planted
in Pittsboro and Brantley but the one at
Troy is most important.
1.-THE serious nature OF the disease cam
not he too seriously dwelt upon. When
the disease once gets into the soil it is
folly to undertake to raise cotton on 1t. |
The proof of the presence Of the disease
is to find the stalk black inside when /
broken open. Wilt remains from year
to year and manifests itself each year
according to the season. Thus the profit |
Of the crop is taken away from the farm
er II the crop Is not killed.
"All other crops. however. except okra, |
can be grown on wilt land. Witt Is as
fatal to okra as to cotton. The resistent i
cotton plant Is the only remedy for wilt
land. as experiments have demonstrated /
the uselessness OF fighting the disease ]