Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1910-08-24

After discussing hog cholera
and Texas fever, DR.. Barnett an
swered several questions that were
asked by gentlemen in the audi
ence.
Mr.. h. W. Barr.
The second speaker presented was
Mr.. H. w. Barr, his subject being
plant diseases. In agriculture
SO much depends upon plants
| it is very important that diseases of
plants be checked. Mr.. Barr spoke
in detail of pear blight and how it
can be checked. He said it's caus-
ed by bacteria that work in the cir
culatory system, and as they fill up
the water ducts the food supply is
stopped. A sweet yellow liquid
exudes from the parts that are af-
fected and bees carry the bacteria
from this yellow liquid to the
blooms ofother trees, causing the
blight to spread. AS soon as blight
is detected on tree the affected
parts should be cut of: and burned
before the whole tree becomes dis
eased.
Another enemy of plants is a
fungus growth very similar to
mould on bread. Whenever this
parasitic growth is detected on
plants the part affected should be
cut off before the entire plant is at
tao ed. Another means of check
ing disease of this kind is spray
ing, thereby destroying the fungus
without injuring the plant. The
brown rot on peaches comes under
this head of diseases.
Still another method of combat
ting disease is the breeding of va
rieties that resist disease:
Mr.. Barr said smut in wheat is a
fungus which has attacked grain for
a long time. When the grain is
threshed it spreads among the seed
and is ready, to attack the next
growing crop. 1t can be checked
by washing the seed in blue-stone
water, one pound of blue-stone to
F2O gallons of water. The grain
must soak for six hours.
Hell next took up the boil rot
which causes an annual loss of ST.
900, ,0oOto the cotton growers of
South Carolina. The fungus lives
in the old bolIs- and stalks from 9
to IA months 1t also spreads
through the seed. The way to
stamp out the, rot: is to- plant clean
seed and rotate every year. He
cautioned his hearers about import
ing seed. Many plant diseases
spread through the importation of
seed. He urged the necessity of
raising good seed at home.
The last subject discussed was
the black rot of sweet potatoes. AS
this spreads only from the potatoes,
he urged'the bedding of clean pota-
toes and the planting ofvines wher-
ever possible.
In the afternoon Mr.. L. A. Niven,
spoke upon Horticulture, but owing
to the fact that we had to- take an
early departure we were unable to
hear him. We are greatly indebt-
ed to the members of the club for
the privilege of hearing the very
instructive addresses in the fore
noon. These specialists are well
equipped for institute work among
the farmers, having large prac-
ticaI experience as well as an abun-
dant store of technical knowledge.
The Great Feast.
The members of the Clark's Hill
club proved themselves to be most
charming hosts. At the close of
the mornings program dinner was
announced. And such feast! The
markets of Clark's Hill and Angus
Ia were ransacked for the best of
everything. The members of the
club footed the bills and bade their
friends partake freely without mon
ey and without price. The editor
of The Advertiser has been so ac-
customed to pay" barbecues du-
ring the campaign that it was quite
a delightful innovation to be usher
ed to great open air feast without
first having to fish around in his
well-nigh empty pockets for few
coins. The writer above all others
could appreciate the beautiful hos
pitality that was SO generously dis
pensed at the Clark's Hill school
grounds. Besides the barbecued
meats, hash, pickles, ETC., furnished
by the men, their better-halves car
ried well-flled baskets of picnic din
J;ao. ,ool d,,;,,1,o H.