Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-01-08
GEORGIA DEVELOPS
VALUABLE COTTON
State Entomolosist Ready for Boil
Weevii and Black Root--Other
important Work.

AtidnLAs G6.-(SpeClal) )-bY CrOBS"
Ing Egyptian long staple cotton with
domestic variety called Dixie, the
Georgia State Department Of Ento-
mology has produced an entirely new
variety, as yet unnamed, which will
meet boil weevil conditions, by matur-
ing early, and will at the same time
resist the black root or wilt disease.
This new variety of cotton, which
tion of State Entomologist e. Lee
Worsham, is an intermediate long sta
pie cotton, that will bring price far
In advance of the ordinary upland or
short staple cotton. 1t is Of kind
that will bring about twenty cents a
| pound on the regular market, under
normal conditions.
After long and careful series of
experiments, under the direction of
Mr.. Worsham, this cotton has been
produced with a combination of quail
tiles never before possessed by any
one variety. 1t has three elements
which are Of hundred-fold value for
the very reason that they are COM
bined; it meets boil weevil conditions,
it resists the wilt disease, and will
| grow practically anywhere in the cot
ton belt, whereas Sea Island cotton,
the only other long staple variety in
this country, is confined to a narrow
belt near the sea coast.
This new strain of cotton was
| evolved to meet the peculiar situation
which will develop in Georgia when
the boil weeyil crosses over from Ala
| bama next year. All specialists had
| agreed that the best way to combat
| boil weevil was to use early matur-
ing varieties, but in Georgia it was
found that the varieties which ma
tured early were peculiarly suscepti-
BILE to black root and would only es-
cape one pest to be ruined by another.
In the light of this situation, the very
| great Importance of the State Boards
contribution to the situation becomes
at once apparent
| More seed Later.
| For the time being the supply Of
seed for this new strain will be small,
as the State Department has only
about. an acre OF IL but this ts TO be
distributed in smal quantities TO
farmers who will take u careful nter-
est in the development OF Inc new
variety and will cultivate it In ac-
cordance with rules furnished by the
department. The seed will naturally
be distributed first in that section
of the state where the boil weevil
will first strike, that Is to say, in
| Southwestern Georgia. In the section
| which includes some twenty-five coun.
| ties next to the Alabama line, Mr..
| Worsham has already organized cot
| ton-breeding clubs, composed OF plan.
| ters who will cooperate with the de.
partment In bringing about the fur.
ther development Of the new cotton.
The department, under Mr.. Wor.
shams guidance, Is engaged In a
continual and aggressive warfare
against crop and fruit pests and dis.
eases Of all kinds. These diseases, 1t
is estimated, would cost Georgia's q
crops $25 100000 or $SO,00O,O00 a year
IL no efforts were made to control
them.
The Red Spider scourge. ..
| Mr.. Worsham has issued mum.
ber Of bulletins, dealing with various
plant diseases and pests, which have
attracted attention all over the coun'
try. His red spider bulletin in colors
is considered an authority on the sub
ject. These bulletins are sent free
to all applicants, whether Georgians
Or not Mr.. Worshams experiments
have made possible the practical con.
troll of the red spider problem. An
| other free bulletin is about to be is.
sued, dealing with the mole cricket.
1t is the controlling OF plant dis.
eases and insects that has made pos.
sible the growing OF perfect fruit In
Georgia. Through their work it is
| now possible to control at small ex-
pense the San Jose scale, peach cur
culio, coddling moth Of the apple,
brown rot apple scab and other orch
ard diseases. In addition all nurse
ries and growing stocks are inspected
once a year, and strict examina'
ton Is made of all nursery stock Inn,
ported from abroad.
Mr.. Worsham is now planning for
his agricultural institutes for next
year. He holds about one hundred
oppuollv In nnnpectipr with the State