The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1912-06-17

serious injury to the crop, they and
twenty others which afflict the sugar
beet in minor degrees are being par.
ticularly studied by the plant doc
tors. The reason for this solicit ldt
| is that the sugar beet is no ordinary
vegetable Not only is its sacchar-
inc content productive of su yar
worth s7o,000,o00 in the Uni ed
States each year but the beet is q
wonderful sol conserver. and in ro-
tation with other crops has beco nc
the foundation of modern scientific
agriculture in Europe, where the far
mer Is encouraged to cultivate ii by
special bounties and protection in
the form of high sugar tariffs. Ag-
ricultural scientists believe that if
American farmers are encouraged Ivy
the maintenance of the tariff duty o
spread the culture of sugar bee 8,
the general productiveness of or
fields viii be greatly increased du r
ing the next few years. Alreat y
the Government has established a
special sugar beet hospital at Roe Y
Ford. Colorado, where diseased IL
dividuals of this species are subject
10 study. Enough has been learned
already to make it certain that these
h.a and 10
important crop be enabled to ex-
pand its work of improving the yield
of American acres in all our import
ant crops a work for which it is
now regarded as the most important
single agent available.
Another reason why particular at
tentiort is being given to the task
of endering the sugar beet immune
to the attacks of disease is that while
the culture of this crop has expand
ed very rapidly within the past ten
years its cultivation is still COM
paratiyely a aew industry in the
United States, and only small pro-
portion of, the area adaped to its
growth is now devoted to 1t. Inves-
legations by experts of the depart
ment of agriculture show that prac-
tically every state of the Union ex-
cept those Of the extreme southeast
ern group is capable of growing
sugar beets and Secretary Wilson is
authority for the statement that If
only one acre in every 1877 of the
area adapted 10 this crop were plant
ID to 1t, the United Sattes would be
producing all the sugar required for
It's own consumption. With the pos
,ibiffty of saving for our own people
he 500. 900, 600 now expended for
foreign grown sugar and at the same
time increasing the yield of all ouc
1ther staple crops from % to so per
,ent, az has been accomplished In
sections where beet growing is al
ready established, it will be seen
hat this industry is one deserving Of
III possible protection and encour
lgement.
One INJURIOUS plant epidemic, the
'hestnut bark disease. is now sweep
ng the eastern part Of the country
md threatens to eliminate this spe-
les of trees completely from Ameri-
an forests. The disease started in
New York City in 1904, supposedly
having arrived from Japan, and al
ready it has been noticed as far south
vs. Virginia. It has done 100000,
100 damage thus far and the chest
nut Is already the metropolis AL
hat remain of the trees are the max
d trunks.
The chestnut disease Is caused by
\ spreading minute fungus.
The first symptom is yellow, or
nge or reddish-brown rash, spread
ng over the bark The minute
pots are the pustules of the fruit
ng fungus These spots cause
pFeading sore or lesion which
Don gridles the tree. The bark
lakes off, the leaves wither, and
,nly the dead, naked trunk remains.
The only method of controlling the
tpread of this disease is by segrega-
ion-destroying infected trees thro-
lghout the territory involved and
'reating an immese anEea by des-
trOying all chestnuts, diseased or
healthy within a belt OF ten or
twenty miles wide surrounding the
main zone Of infection. The nation
al government is prohibited from
this radical course Of treatment be
cause il cannot destroy property
but under its advice, some Of the
states, particularly Pennsylvania,
have started strenuous campaign
along these lines. ...
BY applying principles Of science
to build up harder race, the plant
doctor occasionally checks the rava-
ges Of disease This plant was tried
successfully when pestience swept |