The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-11-30

probable even if prices steadily ad-
vance.
According to the latest reports from
correspondents in the various tobacco
growing regions of the United States,
the governments official estimates of
a bumper crop of tobacco this year
seem fully justified by the figures at
hand. Condition, which seemed unfav-
orable at planting time, changed quick
ySand great deal of ground that was
unreported early in the season was
later put to growing tobacco. From
almost every section reports are made
of an extremely favorable growing
season and the yield was far heavier
than was anticipated by the most opti-
4x.istic statisticians. In some localities,
notably in the Burley belt, it is said
that the quality of the leaf is much
heavier than usual, and for this reason
the crop will be bulky one. Wiscon-
sin seems to be one of the few sections
not favored by good wsather condi-
tions and the crop is far from satisfac
tory there. For this reason the cigar
leaf production will probably fall be-
low that of last year. The Virginia
Sun Cured and Bright districts were
especially favored, and good crops of
substantial size are reported, while in
the New England states normal condi
tions are said to have resulted in
yield about up to that Of last year.
The cigar leaf section, including a
large part of Connecticut, Ohio, Mas
sachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania,
Wisconsin, Florida and Georgia, shows
an area approximately 1853, 100 acres,
from which may reasonably be expect
ed 217, 1921, 600 pounds. as contrasted
with III, 200 acres, producing 220, 1885,
900 pounds in 1916, decrease for the
current year of 1857, 900 pounds, or
slightly more than per cent.
Crop rotation is the only method
which will give satisfactory results IN
controlling tobacco wilt, it appears
from tests conducted over series of
years in the fue- cured tobacco district
by the United States Department OF
Agriculture. BY cropping badly in
tested land for five years with crops
not affected by the wilt the extent OF
injury to tobacco from the disease was
reduced from 80 per cent to less than
10 per cent. To keep the wilt off farms
not already infested, it is recommended
that seed beds be thoroughly burned to
iusure complete sterilization and that
care be taken not to allow surface
drainage from infested farms to reach
the seed bed or the tobacco land. Great
caution should be used in securing
plants or farming implements from
farms on which the wilt is present.
Tobacco stalks or stems from infested
farms should not be used as fertilizer
on healthy soils. Every effort should
be made to prevent infested soil or
diseased plant material in any form
from reaching the farm. Tobacco wilt
produces definite symptoms in leaves,
the stalks and the roots of the tobacco
plant. When plants are attacked the
leaves droop in an umbrella-like man
ner and the stalk shows yellowish to
black streaks when the bark is strip
ped. When diseased stalks are cut
across with knife, Shiny ooze ap~
pears. The disease also brings about
decided decay of the root spstem. The
organism responsible for the disease
enters the plant through the root and
eventually brings about plugging OF
the vessels, thus cutting off the water
supply from the leaves and causing
them to perish. In the experiments
carried on by the Department of Agri-
culture various acids, alkalis and nat
ural salts, including fertilizer mater
ials, were applied to the soily by vary
ing methods and in varying quantity,
and large number of germicides were
used. Subsoiling with the plow and by
the use Of dynamite was also employed
to see it such treatment would reduce
the amount of wilt. In none of these
tests were results sufficiently encourag-
ing to hold out hope of controlling the
disease, and crop rotation therefore is
halleYed to he the only rracticahle