Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-02-08

tnan most planters are prepared TO make.
For this reason it is advisable to use
moderate amounts of commercial nitrogen
in conjunction with yard manure for
sweet potatoes. We think a fertilizer con-
tanning about per cent of nitrogen, 3
to 10 per cent of phosphoric acid and s TO
10 per cent of potash would answer well
for your sweet potato crop. This fertiliz-
er may be prepared from a variety of
materials. but by mixing together 600
pounds of high-grade tankage, that is,
containing per cent of nitrogen and IL
per cent of phosphoric acid; 900 pounds of
high-grade acid phosphate; 400 pounds o.
sulphate of potash, and 100 pounds of rich
earth, you can prepare a mixture which
should prove satisfactory for the potato
crop. This mixture will contain approx
mately "a per cent of nitrogen, 105 per
cent of phosphoric acid and 10 per cent of
potash.
FIGHTING ANTHRACNOSE IN COT
TON.
G.. E. w. S., Round Mountain, Ala,
writes: II have piece of red land
which was in cotton last year, and
was very badly affected with what L
took to be anthracnose. VIII the same
disease affect the cotton this year If
1 plant seed not affected on this piece
of land, as L am anxious 10 plant this
piece of land to cotton!
Anthracnose Of cotton is due to a fun.
gus which is in reality a true plant as
much as the cotton itself. The spores
are minute granu1es and form in count
less numbers on a diseased boil AS
you have no doubt observed, the boil
appears to be covered with a pink pow
der at certain stages OF the disease.
These spores are very hardy and live
20 I'D NH
cotton is planted again in the spring
and favorable conditions arise, they
begin to grow and develop, sending out
branched threads that grow into the
tissues of the plant obtaining theil
food therefrom and killing IL, or else
they attack the bolls and cause them
to rot 1t is during a wet spell that
it becomes almost epidemic in charac-
ter. The season, therefore, will have
some influence on the extent Of the
damage which the disease may cause.
In fighting this trouble the best meth
cd TO pursue is a rotation of crops.
since the fungus is dependent on cot
ton for it's food and does not grow on
corn. The seed may also be treated
in a manner similar to that, employed
for smut; that is, immersed in a solu-
tion of copper sulphite at the rate OF
one poune 10 five gallons of water. The
seed shoHd be drained and spread out
to dry otter being in the solution for
ten minutes. The best method of all
is to secure seed as far as possible
that are immune to this disease. Jack
sons Limbless is one of the best va
rieties so far as it's natural resistance
to anthracnose is concerned, though IL
is not as prolific as some other var1e-
ties. You might secure what is known
as Dillon, which is an improved strain
of Jackson. We would suggest that
you select your seed next fall from
plants that are free from this disease,
and therefore apparently immune to
its attack, and when you have secured
an immune strain you can grow cotton
on the affected land with comparative
impunity.
You should gather up and burn all
diseased plants and boIls so as to keep
from reinfecting the land. BY fol-
lowing these directions you can prob
ably grow cotton on the land on which
you write with fair success this year,
but you should remember that IT may
be very difficult to secure a resistant
strain of seed, and if the season is
very wet and unfavorable, you will
probably be troubled with anthracnose
in spite of your best efforts to hold it
in check.