The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-07-14
Cotton Wilt

, to have been a noticeable increase in
the distribution and prevalence of the
disease known as cotton wilt. 1t seems
to be gainsng a foothold In every To-
cality through the central aud eastern
part of the State and is doing inesti-
mable damage. 1t seems, therefore,
that it might be we'll to call the atteh-
rtiOn of the people to what wilt is and
to say something concerning the me-
thods of eliminating it. Every farmer
should become acquainted with this
disease so that he can be on the look
out for it and know how to combat in
it in the future. We have had more
inquiries concerning it this summer
than ever before, and it seems to be
spreading rapidly in some sections of
the State. We have had no less than
q dozen inquiries within the last few
days concerning it.
Wilt Is a fungus disease. 1t is caus-
ed by a minute vegetable organism
a fungus which gains entrance into
the roots and stems of the plant and
grows there parastically. The vege-
tative portion of the fungus which 10
made up of numerous long, tiny
thread like flaments, grows through
the tissue and interferes with the
functions of the plant. These fila
ments get into the circulatory system
Iof the plant and grow together in
such masses in the water ducts as to
cut off the circulation of water and of
sap. Woen this stage ..is reached tho
cntton plant necessarily willis and
dies.
1t is very easy to ~reconize a plant
that is affected with or Ia dying from
wilt. For aside from the ordinary
symptons which you would suspect
where a plant willis, very marked evil
dence Of the presence of the disease 10
found in stems of the affected plants.
If such plants are split open, dark
streaks will always be found extend
ling through the woody tissue OF the
stem and root. These streaks are
always very pronounced in the wood
lust beneath the bark. Other smaller
| discale. ed areas are found all through
the roots and stems. These darkened
areas are. water vessels, of the plant
which are filled and plugged up by
the growth of the fungus.
The fungus which causes this dis
ease is more hardy than the cotton
| plaut on which it lives and continues
to live and grow ever after the host
| plant is dead. 1t even lives over for
lseveral years Oh dead stalks and in
| the soil and remains ready to attack
and new plants as they come up. A
field once infected, then, would re-
main so for several years. The fact,
too, that the fungus which causes the
disease lives in the soil and\ enters
through the roots of the cotton makes
it hard to fight. None of the given
methods Of fighting fungus pests,
such as spraying, seed treatment, etc,
will have any affect on it. So we
have to resort to other methods. Now
plants like people and like lower ami
mails have different tendencies. Some
people are healthier or more resistant
Ito disease than others. The same is
ttrue to lower animals anb true 1t
seems to even q greater extent with
pants. Some varieties Of cotton are
more resistant to disease than others,
and in the same variety some individ-
uals. The United States Department
of Agriculture has made, use of this
fact and has set about breeding disease
Assistant varieties Of cotton. This has
been carried on now for q number OF
years and they have had remarkable
1success. They are now able to give
us a variety Of cotton which Is practi.
callp immune from wilt. In order to
lhelp eliminate wilt from the cotton
fields of the South and thus save to
the farmers the two millions now lost
ANNUALLY from its effect, the Depart
ment of Agriculture has made arrange
ments' for distributing seed Of these
disease resistant varieties among the
farmers in the sections which are suf-
fering from wilt. Samples of these
seed can be had by writing to the
congressman Of the various districts
or by writing direct to the y. s. De.
prrtment of Agriculture at Washing
ton, D.. @.
Al pointed out above this is the
only method of eliminating the dis
ease and those who are suffering from
It should not hesitate to secure and
plant the seed of the resistant varieties
In the future. The Dixie and the Dill
Ion are probably the best of these va
~rieties.
Care should be taken to prevent the
spread of the disease. Where it only
occurs in one or in a few places on 9
plantation, every precaution should
be taken to keep the unaffected FIELDS
free from the disease. Water should
: not be allowed to drain from diseased
l1elds on to land where the disease ha:
never occurred. All plows and othel
implements should be cleansed before
taking them out of a field where thu
disease occurs.
Anyone who is in doubt as to wheth
or his cotton is affected with the dis
ease or not should during the growing
season send specimens OF the suspect
Cd cases to the Division of Botany o
the South Carolina Experiment Sta
cion for examination and Identified
ton. We are always glad to recelv'
: such specimen s and to get in touch
with the people who are suffering
, Losses from this and other diseases
We keep or hand franked tags for us'
in sending in diseased specimens ant
will gladly send some of these to any
lone who desires to send any kind o
t plant disease for examination and in
vesliga-ion.
H. W. Barre, Bosanist,
! s. G. Expt. Station.