Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-01


for the information and advice of our
readers
OF all the factors OF crop produc-
tiOn that OF plant disease is undoubt-
edly the most important. The adop-
tion of improved cultural methods VIII
often increase the production p per
cent or even more. This, however
does not begin to offset the crop losses
due 10 disease, which may be entirely
eliminated by the adoption of proper
methods of control. Smut OF oats takes
an annual toll of 10 per cent of the
crop: hunt of wheat takes about %
per cent: cotton boil rots may take as
high as 80 per cent; peanut wilt may
take 50 per cent with certain varieties|
peach and apple diseases may claim
the entire crop in favorable seasons;
sweet potato diseases may destroy the
entire crop in the field or in storage
Certain il is that plant disease and
insect troubles reduce the efficiency of
the soil from so per cent to 100 per
cent every year i'm spite of the fact
that definite and practical control
measures have been developed for many
of the economic diseases. Many farm
ers no doubt. do not recognize plant
disease as a factor which can be con-
trolled-they confuse damage from this
source with that due TO the elements,
drouth. frost, plant food deficiency. At
this time. facing a world famine, we
must bend every energy 10 increase the
production of foodstuffs. You can do
your part by informing your neighbo-s
as to control measures for plant disease.
Demonstrate the practicability OF the
methods
Every farm should be placed under a
definite scheme of management. Adopt
three or four years crop rotation. Draw
a plan of the farm and indicate for each
field the rotation which is to be followed
during the next three years. Many plant
diseases are carried over i'm the soil for
several years. If resistant crops are
planted for two or three years these or
ganisms die and conditions become IA
vorable for one of the susceptible crops.
Corn smut. peanut wilt, root-knot, Diplo-
dia ear rot, tomato wilt are of this ma
;ure-crop rotation and clean seed will
control them.
In a recent address V. r. Gardnew said
that the object of any and all of the
orchard operations is: % to increase
yield. C2l to improve quality or grade.
90 to lower cost of productions" 1t IS
a fact that not a single one of these OBJ
jects can be attained if proper control
measures for all fruit diseases are not
practical Proper pruning of all fruit
trees is also a contributing factor to
improve grades of fruit, in several
ways; as for example, opening up the
tree thereby making possible more
thorough spraying, thus reducing brown
rot. peach leaf curl and other diseases,
besides simplifying methods of cultiva-
ton. and reducing cost of harvesting
the crop.
Recent investigation on the pecan Ro-
settle, indicate that this disease is not
caused by parasites or other organisms
but is a trouble arising from malnutri-
ton or deficiency in soil moisture
and plant food" Specialists of the
United States department of agriculture
reached this conclusion after consider
able study on the disease. For example,
on experiment tests plats a large per-
centage of trees have been practically
freed of this disease More complete
results and methods of control for the
disease will appear later. There is no
doubt but that when these final results
are published they will be gladly re-
ceived by the pecan growers. of Georgia.
In a brief summary of the Varie-
tai Relations of Crown Gall" the author
gives a resume of various forms Of
crown gall found on apple trees and
brings forth the question that these sew
eral forms may De que 10 NdTleldl ull-
ferences in the host plants" The au-
thor goes on 10 show that from expert
ments conducted for some years, that
particular varieties had only one form
Of the disease. Furthermore some va
rietes seemed to be more immune to the
disease than others. 1t would seem
from this article that the breeding of
resistant varieties may be a factor in
the treatment of this disease in future
work.
The campaign put on by the field
agents in this state for the control of
smuts of grains has been nearly complete
and the state has been well covered.
Lecture and Unconstitutional work in
this subject will be continued in the eX-
tension schools beginning January %.
Specimens of the most important SHUTS
of cereals will be on exhibit at these
schools and the life histories of these
diseases with the control methods in
communities will be discussed in a gen.
eraI way Every farmer should make il
a point to hear these lectures and dis
cussions.
Some complaints have been heard
from growers who have treated their
grain i'm previous years that the seed
has been injured. As a rule the cause
of such injury can be traced down to a