The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-08-20

and the harlequin bug, preferring this
diet would gather on them and might
De destroyed with plants. 1t was al,
ways best to take off a pea crop and
put winter cover crop on the land
where the bug was found. Prof
Thomas stated that it was best not
10 put an application Of paris green
on vegetables which were to be eaten
nearer than three weeks before they
were to be put on the table, although
the poison was easily washed off and
IL required great quantity of the
vegetable for the poison to be felt.
In case a winter cover crop was
planted to kill out the insects. Prof.
Thomas stated that it was best TO let
1t stand as long as possible before
cutting; about the 18th of March be-
ing a reasonable time.
The red spider was q cotton pest so
much dreaded that a special bureau
had been established for a study of
1t. 1t entered the cotton field fro;n
the we'll known poke weed, which
should therefore be cut down and
burnt This was a dry weather pest
and sprays were not altogether satis-
factory. 1t was best to secure informa-
ton from Mr.. E. A. McGregor at
Batesburg, if this pest infected the
cotton field.
Ihe army worm and the cotton cat
erpillar were preyed upon bv wasns
winch would eat out one generation.
Both made periodic visits and were
quickly run out of existence by the
parasite which lived on them. The
cotton caterpillar was a cotton pest
alone, while the army worm ate al
most anything which was green.
The boil weevil will be here in
about six years, Mr.. Thomas told the
farmers present, and 1t will be here
TO stay. 1t lives on the cotton boil
and Is not apt to change its diet for
many generations to come. This in
sect was apt to paralyze farming for
at least five years, unless the farmers
learned to raise other things than cot
ton' the third year Of its visit being
the awful year for the farmers.
Prof. l.. o. Watson told of still
70 O.
told them OF the cotton blight or wilt,
years. This was a plant disease
which was parasitic in its nature
which needed the properature temp
erature and moisture in which to
germinate and develop. Anthracnose
or boil rot was carried from year to
year on the seed of the plant. The
parasitic growth lived on the cotton
seed and grew up with it, injuring
1t as 1t developed and finally pre-
venting 1t from ever becoming q full
open boil. There was only one
thing to do. plant clean seed. II the
seed came from good stalks there
will be no disease on it. A suitable
rotation Of crops should be tried and
the stalks, on which the spores live,
should be cut down and turned under
each fall as soon as possible, thus
killing the germ. There was not
much trouble in getting good seed
especially as the law required the
seller to tag the seed as being free
from disease OF all kinds. The short
staple big boil cotton has been found
to suffer most from anthracnose, said
the speaker. There was no definite
data on any treatment Of the seed
to rid them Of anthracnose. The
more sunlight and space the cotton
had the less probability Of there be-
ing anthracnose.
Ten millions were lost to the farm
ers last year by wilt, said Prof Wat
son. Wilt was found only on sandy
soils. 1t cannot be treated with a
spray effectively, so far as is known,
the only methods of fighting the dis
ease being to plant wilt resistant seed,
which could be secured from Glenn.
son College. The cause of the dis
Ease has not yet been determined, but
10 Is always found with root knot,
which Is caused by a small worm, al
most too small for the eye to see. 1t
was possible to get rid Of root knot
by a method of starvation and rota-
ton Of crops. Use such crops as the
worm causing the root knot cannot
live on and the worm will starve out.
He advised the use only Of iron or
Brabham cow peas which were i'm
mune to this worm and the, planting
of wilt resistant seed.
For pear wilt 1t was best to cut off
the branches above the wilt and use
a spray.
For tomato wilt or cabbage rot IL
was best to move the crop from one
plara Al onnthar