The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-07-07
THE BLACK ROOT IN COTTON
FUNGUS ATTACKS
ROOTS AND CAUSES DISEASE.
The Germ Is Hard to Get Rid of
!. When 1t Once Gets in the Land.
How to Fight 1t.

j
\ When 1t Once Gets in the Land.
How to Fight 1t.
Renewed interest is being shown
in the fight waged by the farmers
AGAINST the ravages of the cotton
disease known as "black root" or
wilt. A bill has been introduced in
y the house of representatives to APP
Spropriate $4,000 for further per-
fectng of resistant type of cotton
and a complete dissemination of this
#resistant type in the sections where
BLACK root is found.
State EntomOlOgist WOrsham APP
8peared before the house committee in
Ne half OF the bill and stated that
II was his opinion that the state will
&Ose as much as a quarter of a mil
Dion dollars from the disease this
near Mr.. Worsham is now engaged
#n making a map of the state show
Nng the infected districts, which are
Rt present reported as embracing
NTerrell, Taylor, Ben Hill, Sumter,
8Dooly, Stewart, Pulaski, Irwin,
AWorth, Turner, Green and other
counties.
The disease is caused by a micro
SScopic fungus, which attacks the
proofs of TIE plant, so damaging the
#Tltallty Of the plant that it's leaves
sand stalk soon wither and die. One
sof the worst features of the pest is
#hat when it once attacks cotton all
Inc ground Of a field becomes in
tected with the germ, unless meas
ures are taken not to plant cotton
ANY further on the land until the
germs die.
\ heretofore farmers have known no
Other remedy for the disease than to
8RIant their cotton on ground not in
Rected with the fungus, which lives
III the soil for some years after it
gets a hold. 1t may happen that a
farmer will have his best cotton
Bground rendered in this way unfit for
acotton growing. 1t is this very
trouble that the state department of
entomology has been endeavOring to
remedy for several years past, and
solution has finally been found.
by a system of careful selection a
1S'pe Of cotton that resists the raw
BaseS of black root has been evolved.
MS plan is in line with so many
laL have been adopted by scientists
~ nghtlng plant pests. State Ento-
#MolOglst WOrsham noticed that al
rays in cotton field where black
@tooI was found, no matter how bad
#.le disease had become, there were
slTays some stalks of cotton not af-
1ecOed' DR.. Worsham carefully Sc
#peC'ed the seed of these stalks that
#Sere resistant.
IN special plots prepared for that
pose he grew cotton and selected
we seed of the stalks that were most
soSJant. This process was con-
AD,Iued until the most perfect seed
80 obtained. 1t was during last
a.nLler that the experiments of the
SpaT .menJ of entomology were
gno'ed to be successful. This cot
WI may be planted in fields that are
sIo"n to be infected with the black
q WI lungus, but no bad results are
6 experienced.
30 many demands have reached
1e department. of entomology ask
ns lor samples of the seed that it
- oeen impossible to send them out
u every case. When they are sent
Ut II is necessary, on account OF
W. snort supply, to send only small
uiantlty. The seed are also sent
4ly to those sections of the state
ueTe the disease is known to exist,
tne greater part of the farming
pest WV '''''0
II IS this work that Representative
7Iuerson of Irwin county proposes
neIp by the introduction of his
II asking for an appropriation of
thousand dollars by the state for
lat purpose.
@Iy HeinZ's apple butter at Wallis.