The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-02-22
From the Southern Ruralist.


The following news paragraph in
spires me to give through your col
umns a wide circulation to a per-
sOnal experience that will, if needed,
save many a farmer a great loss the
coming year:
1T is estimated that the cotton
crop of South Carolina has been
damaged to the extent of $4,000 900
by anthracnOSe, a disease which has
attacked the plant in many sections
of the state"
If this be true the loss to the state
is probably as much as Z per cent
of the gross income from the sale
of the cotton staple, an increment
large enough to in great measure
destroy the profit of cotton produc-
ton. That amount saved and turn
ed to educational purposes would
likely double the entire public school
appropriation of the state.
While such reports are often ex-
aggerated 1 know from personal ex-
perience that it is quite possible that
not only Z per cent but so per cent
of an individual cotton crop may be
destroyed by the anthracnose rot of
the cotton bolls, while the disease
may also be sometimes destructive
to the stand of young cotton plants.
[ am not much of a cotton farmer,
having planted none prior to 1907,
and only a small area each year
since, my interest lying mainly in
grains, hay and stock.
Nevertheless, my short cotton ex-
perience is worth what~it is worth,
and is here given. For 1907 l de-
Iclded to plant 20 acres of some ex-
ceptionally good variety of cotton
on land that had not been planted to
cotton for six or more years, land
that had been enriched by several
heavy crops of Japan clover, land
isolated from other cotton farms.
and therefore reasonably free from
any infection of cotton diseases of
any kind.
very naturally selected Cook s
Improved as standing at the head of
all varieties in prolificacy in many
impartial tests at the experiment
stations, Understanding their eau
lions in some cases that the variety
showed considerable susceptibility to
the attack of anthracnose-for had
not this variety stood at the head
IN spite of such susceptibility?
Unable to get the seed direct from
the originator in the very late sprin Q
| obtained seed of a variety said to
be Cooks from planter near Rome.
claimed to have been gotten the
year before from Mr.. Cook himself.
Anthracnose appeared, but the WELD
was very good, and the yield of lint
to seed cotton excellent.
In 1908 the anthracnose persisted
to some extent, but the fruiting sea-
son was very drouthy, and the short
crop l attributed mainly to that
cause.
In 1909 I planted not only the
same area, but also took in ia
acre pasture that had been in Janan
clover and Bermuda grass for Is
years. a condition that seemed to in
sure as near total immunity to cot
ton diseases as is possible of attain
ment in ordinary farm operations.
SUN blind as to what anthracnose
might do if really ENCOURAGED bv
moisture conditions and an exceed
lngiy rich soil l planted the same
variety OF infected seed, though on
unlnIected soil.
Inc result was somewhat stagger-
ing. Anthracnose not only attacked
the young plants in cotyledon stage
but rotted both young and old hollis
the latter apparently ready to omen
IN early August I was assured NV
very good farmers that the WELD Of
the 10 acres would reach 20 bales
Inc result was barely nine
In some cases I counted as manv
as I .. grown bolls to the plant en-
tlrely rotten; so to 60 rotten hollis
We're frequent, and Is to % rotten
Dolls to the plant seemed TO he tbn
orderr or the merit. Some few-pIants
on the contrary seemed to he an ~
tlrely resistant to the attack of the
disease. u 'He
Inc case was very clear that If
would again plant these fields to
cotton | must get some variety of
cotton that was powerfully resistant
10 anthracnose, or invite a renetitior
OF the disaster. ''''oH
Evidently very few avbous+;,-o
leStS OF the comparative immnnfty
OF different varieties of cotton boS
SO Iar been made by the usual eoiar
Ilnc authorities, and I found tbon,
very chary of expressing any dafnita
conclusion on the subject hut -,
eventually lind that the specialist