The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-12-02


Wilt and Send Seeds ON Application.
Clemson College, Nov. 24.-The fol- |
lowing brief article on cotton wilt has |
been prepared at the request Of The |
News and Courier correspondent by |
Mr. H. w. Barre. plant pathologist Of
the experiment station. who has been
making q study Of the disease In this
state:
For the past few years there seems
to have been a noticeable increase In
the distribution and prevalence Of the
disease known as wilt Of cotton. It
seems to be gaining foothold in every
locality through the central and east
ern part of the state and is doing In
estimable damage. It seems, there
fore. that II might be we'll to call the
attention Of the people to what wilt is
and to say something concerning the
methods Of eliminating It,
"wilt Is a fungus disease. It Is
caused by a minute vegetable organ
ism--a fungus which gains entrance
into the rots and stems Of the plant
and grows there parasitically. The
vegetative portion of the fungus
which is made up OF numerous long.
| tiny thred-like filaments, grows
through the tissue and interferes with
the functions Of the plant. These fla
ments get into the circulatory system
Of the plant and grow together in such
massee in the water ducts as to cut Off
the circulation Of water and of sap.
When this stage Is reached the cotton
plant necessarily willis and dies-dies
from want of water Just as 1t would
wilt and die during dry time. In
this way whole fields of cotton are
sometimes destroyed by the wilt fun
|'gus.
1t Is very easy to recognize a plant
that is affected with or Is dying from
wilt. For aside from the ordinary
symptoms which you would suspect
where q plant willis. very marked evi-
dence Of the presence Of the disease Is
found In the stems Of the affected
plants. II such plants are split open,
dark streaks will always be found ex-
/, tending through the woody tissue OF
the stem and root. There are always
very pronounced streaks in the wood
just beneath the park. Other smaller
discolored areas are found all through
. the roots and stems. These darkened
!. areas are water vessels OF the plant
/, which are filled with the growth o.
the fungus.
a The fungus which couses this dis
ease Is more hardy than the, cottor
o plant which II infects. and continues Il
: live there and grow even after tn
9 host plant Is dead. It even lives owe
n for several years on dead stalks an,
In the soil and remains ready to attacl
Q any new plants as they come up.
J. ield once infected. then. would re
y main SO for several years. The fact
= too. that the fungus which causes tn
70 disease lives In the soil and enter
= through the roots Of the cotton make
Il II hard to fight. None Of the give
It methods Of fighting fungus pests. sue
as spraying. seed treatment etc.. vii
II have any effect on 1t. So we have t
l. resort to other methods. Now, plant
l. like people and like lower animal!
is have different tendencies. Some pee
It pie are healthier or more resistant I
n disease than others. The same Is tru
l. of lower animals, and true 1t seem
20 to even a greater extent Of plant
l. Some varieties Of cotton are more re
r. sistant to disease than others, and
es the same variety some individu,
n individuals. The United tSates dc
TO prtment Of agriculture has made US
o. OF this fact. and has set about breet
n ing disease resistant varieties Of CO
g. ton. This has been carried on now II
e. a number Of years and they have ha
In remarkable success. They are no
ne able to give US a variety Of cotto
e. which Is practically immune fro
CO wilt. In order to help eliminate WI
ly form the cotton fields of the South ar
r. thus save to the farmers the two mi
lions of dollars now lost annually fro
CT Ito effect. the department Of agricu
as ture has made arrangements for di
I'D tributing seed OF these disease resi-
od tant varieties among the farmers
re- the sections which are suffering fro
N wilt. Samples OF these seed can
bly, had by writing to the Congressman
me the various districts, or by writil