Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-06-20
AGRICULTURAL
e EDUCATION
-= - SUCCESSFUL FARmune
R8sED ANDREW n SOuE



Anthracnose or boil rot OF cotton is q
common disease In Georgia and Is
spreading quite rapidly from year t'
year. A good many complaints have
been received at the College OF Agri'
culture lately relative to cotton dying
some believing that the trouble was due
70 dry weather; others confusing i
with the wilt disease or black rot An
examination OF the affected plants soon
indicates, however, that the trouble Is
due 70. anthracnose- This disease a..
tacks both the seedlings and mature
plants. and the Dolls as We'll The moss
conspicuous injury is generally seen up
on the bolls. When these are attacked
minute. dun reddish specks form on the
surface As the disease progresses
these enlarge and become circular and
change in color. The center of the DIS
eased section where the tissues are dead
j. at first black after a while II be-
comes grayish. and finally is covered
with . pink powder which is composed
OF spores. Any one who has seen dis
eased cotton bolls viii recognize the
character of the trouble from this de-
Scription Sometimes when the diseass
attacks very young b0lls they are killed
outright while in other cases they faa-
20 open The disease also attacks SEED
lings just at or below the surface OF the
ground. The tissues become red and
shrink. and the plant withers away in q
manner CHARACTERISTIC OF the disease
known as .'damping off" When sea
sonaI conditions are favorable a large
number OF plants are sometimes killed
in this manner, and occasionally the
disease attacks the seed leaves. When
the disease attacks the stems OF par
tally matured plants. the bark in irreg-
ular areas turns a dark red and dies;
the foliage sometimes turns yellow ano
the disease under these conditions may
be confused with what IS known as
cotton rust. There is this difference
however. that the stems attacked by an
thracnose are completely killed, while
those attacked BY rust often remain
green, and occasionally new leaves form
after the old ones have fallen off
The cause OF anthracnose is a
fungus which is as much a true
plant as cotton. though Of course
its structure is very simple. and II be-
longs 10 a family low down in the plant
kingdom There are two distinct parts
TO this plant, known as the mycelium
and the spores The mycelfum is cor
orless and consists OF q number o,
branehed threads which grow down into
the tissues, OF the part OF the plant at
tackled. thus obtaining their food, and al
the same time destroying that part or
the plant The spores are minute gran
ules and form at the ends of the
threads which grow out from the my
celium- They compose the pink powder
so commonly seen on the surface OF
diseased spots Their purpose is 10 null
uply the fungus ard 70 spread IL to 9TH
er plants. Thousands OF them are pro
duced on a single diseased boil and are
very limited and easily scattered by the
wind and other natural agencies IN
der favorable conditions each spore Is
capable OF growing into a fungus plant.
IL VIII thus Be seen how readily this
disease may multiply and spread. and
now thoroughly IL may soon infect a
whole field.-though only one plant be at
tackled at the beginning. This fungus
because OF it's nabit OF living on another
plant may be described as a parasite,
though il may live and grow to some
extent on dead plants Apparently the
disease lives over from year TO year,
though its life history IN this respecr
has not been clearly ascertained. 1t is
certain that when 1t is once intro
duced into the cotton field il viii null
tipry and spread unless a rotation OF
crops be practiced and disease resistant
1EE0 E41stAcu
While much more might be said con.
corning the life history OF this rest. this
information Is hardly OF service to the
average layman who simply needs e
know enough about the trouble TO recog
nize II when il attacks his plants, and
then 20 understand the best methods
OF treatment which can be suggested
for its control or eradication Probably
the most satisfactory methods Of combat.
ting anthracnose Is to plant seed from
varieties which have proven most near
Is resistant 70 this trouble 1t is not
understood why some plants should b.
more resistant 10 disease than others
but In every field where anthracnoss
has appeared there are some plants
which apparently are not affected by it
These should be chosen for seed Not
all Of them viii prove resistant in sue
cessive years. but some OF them will
and on this account the progeny from
each supposedly resistant plant Should
be put IN a row by itself and observa.
lions taken on II throughout the grow
ing season. and seed again selected from
these plants which show the highest
degree OF resistance.
IN selecting plants for seed, they
should De chosen from areas where the
disease has been most severe Do not