Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-07-14
WATERMELON PEST
TO BE ERA0ICATED
Prof. c ordley Identifies u and Tells
How TO Combat it-No Mel
ons for Three Years.

frOf. n. u. tOr0leyi entOmOlORlht
at the State Agricultural College at
Corvallis, or as he is called by the
fruitgrowers, who hold his work IN
high appreciation, the College Bug
man. arrived in Grants Pass Wednes-
day evening, In response to the re
quest Of the melon growers that he
investigate disease that is rapidly
killing the watermelon vines in
Rogue River Valley Early Thursday
morning g. A, Cobb, who is large
grower and dealer, with his buggy
took Prof. Cordley to the various
melon fields In the vicinity Of Grants
Pass. In every field visited the effect
of the disease could be seen. In the
field owned by Mr.. Cobb and his
partner, j. A. Maddux, Prof Cordley
found fully 10 per cent of the vines
affected, while the 40 acres of water.
melons on 7. p. Lees place. was all
affected and the vines are dying IN
such numbers as to preclude the posi-.
bility Of u single melon being pro.
duced No ether field was found 70
badly affected, the dead vines mum.
boring not over 20 per cent in any one
field.
Prof. Cordley brought number of
the diseased vines TO town with him,
having brought with him from the
College his high.power microscope
and examined them. lie found vast
numbers in the diseased vines Of the
spores of fungus that has long
chronological name, but which is
known to the melon growers of the
Carolinas and Georgia as the melon
wilt These spores first make their
appearance In the root of the melon
aud then are carried to all parts of
the vine by the water In tho cirou.
latory tubes. They develop In these
tubes in u few hours to countless
millions, and 50 choke the flow of
sap that the vines die in one day
time from lack Of moisture the same
as though deprived Of its roots.
These spores ARE II vegetable growth
as are all fungi, ana are so small
that n hundred will occupy a pin
point. This disease was fret observed
IA few years ago in North aud South
Carolina aud Georgia, and made
havoc In the melon fields of that
state. The Department OF ARricul.
ture undertook TO find method Of
eradioating the pest, but so far the
only plan that has been found sue.
oessful is for tho grower to pull up.
the diseased vines so soon ms seen to
be affected, aud together with every
paI Itice of root, burn them. That
checks the spread OF the disease Tor
the time being, Iut II melons are
planted the following season on the
same ground he disease will again
appear, for the spores have been
known to retain their vitality for
two and three years.
Itappears that this disease first made
its appearance in Rogue River Valley
tour or five years ago, and has steadily
been laining in yirulenco with
no effort being maize ON the part of the
growers to hnd out what it was
or how to combat it. Even last ycar
whole fields were lost, Y. p. Lee
losing the same 30 acre ield that he
has lost this year When the disease
lately appeared in the field Of G, A.
Cobb he at once sent some OF the
vines to Prof Cordley, who at once
recognized the pest as Que of the |
worst that the melon growers have
to contend with The only successful |
way that the Professor recommends to |
eradicate the disease is for the
farmers IN the infected districts to /
abandon melon growing for three or
four years until the spores OF the
fungus have all died, aud then to
rotate other crops on the melon land
when the growing is again under.
taken. He thinks the disease was
likely brought to this section on seed