The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-02-05
A new BREED or COTTON.
GEORGIA STATE DEPARTMENT
OF ENTOMOLOGY HAS ORIG
NAL PLAN.
Cross Between Egyptian and Dixie
Cotton Secures Blend of Long Staple
Which Resists Disease and Attacks
of Boil WeeviL

/ HouhS@u u discovery ana develop
ment Of ~ ain Of cotton that will
meet .s"~eevil conditions by COM
y ~. ~ early maturity; that will
{, W black root or wilt diseases, and
mich at present prevailing prices,
will bring around 20 cents a pound
on the market.
This strain of cotton, developed as
the result Of experiment made by
State EntOmologist f. Lee Worsham,
to meet peculiar Georgia conditions
| promises to be one of the most valua-
| bic varieties in the world
While Georgia might have met the
advance of the boil weevil with early
maturing varieties, practically every
one Of these known was subject to at
tack by the wilt disease. 1t was neces-
sary, therefore, to get a strain which
would meet both conditions. This Mr..
Worsham has done by crossing Egypt
ian staple with Dixie, an early ma
turing American variety, and the re-
| suit is an intermediate long staple
which natures comparatively early,
resisting the black root and has a
strong, fine long staple making it of
far more than even the highest
grades of short staple cotton.
The beauty about the new variety
is that it will grow almost anywhere
in the cotton belt, while the regular
long staple, known as Sea Island. is
confined to a narrow and limited area
near the seacoast. This new strain
also meets boil weevil conditions as to
Sea Island cotton which would not
otherwise have escaped boil weevil
destruction.
| The department has only one acre
of the variety this year; consequently
the quantity of seed will be limited,
1t will be distributed free of cost to
planters in the 25 counties in the
southwestern section of the State
where cotton clubs have already been
organized, composed Of the most cro>
gressive planters, to cooperate with
the State department Of entomo4
logy in the fight on the boil weeyil,
which is expected to enter the State
| from Alabama in 1918.
Mr.. Worsham figures that ultisaate.
ly this new variety will be distributed
over the entire cotton belt and will
result bO n in resistance to disease
and pest, and the development of a
more valuable grade of staple.
Thousands of pounds of seed from
plants resistant to the wilt disease
have been distributed throughout the
State free of cost by the department;
hundreds of farmers institutes have
been held to explain the work, and in
February the next tier OF 25 counties
in south Georgia, just east Of those
where the work has already been
done, will be organized to meet boil
weevil conditions,
In this and other ways the State
department Of entomology is now
saving to the farmers of Georgia
$25,OOO,OOO to $4,000, 900 each year,
by developing and furnishing infor-
nation as to easy and inexpensive
methods of controlling plant pests and
diseases.
Only in this way has it been possi-
bic To develop perfect fruits in Geor-
gia, and pests no longer prevent the
making of crops because Of the ex-
pense in controlling them.
Mr.. Worsham's red spider bulletin
in colors has attracted attention all
over the country, and has been of ma
terial value in many other States II
is furnished free to all applicants.
whether Georgians or not. The red
| spider attacks cotton and all kinds
of vegetation particularly in green
houses, and DR.. Worshams expert
ments have made it possible to con-
troll il without material difficulty and
at small cost. He now has ready for
the press similar bulletin on the
mole cricket, brought here from
Puerto Rico, and which has been
doing extensive damage in the south
| esatern section.
elected prosii,nt e the Southern
Conservation congress which met in
Atlanta IN 1910, Dr. Worsham has
since been honored by appointment
M chairman Of the executive commit
tee OF tn" National Conservation con-
! Er"sS, on account Of his interest IN
and efforts i'm behalf Of conservation.
particularly along agricultural auc
Horticultural lines. not only i'm Goor-
"ia INT throughout the South
NJ. Lang M,N,tt has lv,u appoint