The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-02-01
WILL DEMONSTRATE ON MERCER FARM
State Entomolgst VIII Plant and Cultivate Resistant Cot
ton Seed on Land Badly Infected With Black Root

NV this year for the benefit of
farmers of this section prac-
49,, +ost of the merits of the cotton
' "a which the state department of
Seeo oIogv says will resist the black
en Ss and is advising the farmers of
Loo' in fested regions to plant.
tnF go Entomologist e. L. Wor-
ham. who was in this section last
thursday en- route to Calhoun coun-
- m matters connected with his
u ~ informed The News that he
VIII liant two or three acres in re-
y.a+ont seed on the farm of Hon.
s ISo r Mercer, just beyond the
Jno, stern limits of Dawson, this
s So and fully demonstrate their re-
ssistant qualities to the farmers.
si' W. Worsham, who says there is
doubt that the seed will do all
!bot is claimed for them in resisting
~ mack root or wilt disease in cot
t .no could not have selected bet
wv O Mace to give them thorough
.os+ az for the past two, or three
ySars the bIackroot has been nothing
;oss than disastrous on certain parts
~ Mr.. MERGERS plantation.
Wants Early Resistant Variety.
Mr. Worsham is trying to develop
an carly variety of the resistant seed
that will not only check the black
root but mature early enough to
minimize the destruction of the boil
wepyil when that pest reaches this
section in the next two or three
years.
"The Mexican cotton boil weevil is
probably the worst enemy the cotton
industry has ever known" said M.
Worsham ''It will make it's advent
INTO Georgia within the next two
years if it continues at it's present
rate of travel. 1t will be far more
serious in south Georgia, particularly
in southwest Georgia, than in many
other sections of the south where it
now occurs on account of the pres
ence of the well known cotton dis
ease, blackroOt or cotton wilt.
"Of the present methods of control
in infested areas the growing of
early varieties is the one which gives
the most satisfactory results.
"Blackroot or wilt disease is a
fungus disease occurring in the soil.
It can be successfully controlled by
rotation and growing varieties that
are resistant to the disease. In some
sections this disease is about as Sc
riOus as boil weevil. Unfortunately
for south Georgia the early varieties,
such as Kings and Triumph, are the
most susceptible to blackroot. This
will make it impossible for the grow
ers in this section to rely on early
varieties that are now being grown.
For the past two years the state
board of entomology has been trying
by selection to secure an early re-
sistant strain of cotton from King
and other early varieties, but so far
the effort has met with but little
success. CrossOng the resistant
strains that we already have, such
as the Dixie, with the King has been
undertaken to determine if in this
way an early resistant strain of cot
ton can be secured. 1t is yet too
early to tell what the results of this
phase of the work will be, but at
present it seems very promising.
Another method is being en-
ployed to secure an early resistant
strain by selecting the earliest plants
found in the resistant varieties. In
one Of our resistant strains, the No
della number of stalks were ear
IIer by seven days this season than
the others. Several of these were
selected for testing next season.
From some of these methods we
hope to secure an early resistant
strain of cotton by the time the boil
Weeyil reaches the state. Almost
any strain Of cotton may be develop
ed to open early by careful and con-
Jnued selection of the earliest bolls.
IhIs is a slow process, and must be
continued for a number of years to
secure marked results. In Texas the
King cotton has been made still ear
Ter by this process. Then, too, it
Is a we'll known fact that good fer
tlHzation and very frequent cultiva-
uon will hasten the maturing of cot
ton
If the cotton growers in south
Georgia are able to grow cotton in
spite of boil weevil, it will be neces- !
sary to have varieties of cotton that
VIII mature the crop early and at