The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-10-20

cowpcaS. grasses. red clover and crim-
son clover. There is co"d eyideEc"
tending Ia show that cotton also il
not affected by tobacco wilt, and there
is no reason for SupposinS that oats
are affected.
The wilt germ attacks a number ~
plants other than tobacco. and these
plants must he kept OF the land IL
the rotation is 10 he effective These
plants include tomatoes, irish pota
toes. and peanuts.
Eagweed, which is very common in
the ilue-cured district also is attacked:
I it is important that this weed be- kept
down.
1t appears from the test that on
badly infested land the growing "f
( crops not attacked by wilt for four or
/ five years will give better results than
only three years of such cropping. Tn"
/ three-ycar period greatly reduced the
amount of wilt. however. II Is be-
lieved that On badly infested soils Il
, crop of tobacco should not he grown
but after the disease has been brought
under control tobacco probably may he
grown safely every fourth year IN
der no circumstances should two crops
of tobacco he grown in succession on
infested soil
Prevent Spread Of Disease.
Although the rotation of crops
makes il possible to grow tobacco on
land infested with wilt. those farms
in the wilt area that are still free
from the disease command consider
able premium, because larger acre
nge of tobacco can he grown on them.
II is clearly to the interest of the
, owner to use every possible means Of
keeping his farm free from the to-
, bacco wilt. Thorough burning of to-
baccO seed beds will destroy the wilt
parasite. hut the seed bed may be-
surrounding fields. even in very small
, quantities. is allowed 10 reach the bed
after il has been steriliZed. The seed
bed. as well as the field. also may be-
), come infested by surface drainage
| frmn infested fields. This explains
the frequent observation by farmers
4 that wilt may appear In the first crop
i of tobacco grown, on freshly cleared
i lands. a fact which should serve as II
i warning of what may be expected if
Il the surface drainage from neighborinc
q wilt-infested farms is allowed to reach
II nnninfeSted tobacco lands. For the
Il above reasons tobacco growers are nd
II vised to avoid setting in fields free
4 from infestation plants obtained from
y seed beds which may be infested. A
= half dozen infested plants may easily
al be the means of establishing the wilt
a permanently on plantation.
a Source Of Disease.
81 There is no reason for supposina
4 that the disease Is carried over In the
seed. and there Is no doubt that To-
I. two principal sources from whici
A healthy fields receive the disease ar,
n U) soil from infested fields and e.
diseased tobacco plants. either Twins
II plants or the dead material Of leaf
8. stem. stalk. or root. Infested soil car
Is ried on pillow borrowed from neigh
Dor or on the feet of an animal or q
n man may serve to introduce the dis
Il ease. In the process OF fine curing /
II might be expected that the compare
lively high temperatures used towar'
II the end Of the curing would he SUI
. ;icient 10 kill the parasitic organism
but cases have been observed In Gran
10 vile county i'm which II is highly prob
V. able that the wilt was introduced d
at tobacco farms through the use q
~ stems as fertilizer. II is not advis
''s able 10 use tobacco stalks or stem
from diseased fields on lands not n
nc. ready infested with wilt, since the cul
oh ing process cannot be relied upon I
r,s all cases to steriliZe these materials
no Finally, tobacco growers are advise
no To practice rotation of crops on thsi
IN tobacco lands rs n means Of preven
ing the wilt. for If the soil is expose
. to infestatiOn the disease is less likel
m. to become established when a system
~ attic rotation of crops is followed.