South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-03-30
CROP TREATMENT
PREVENTS FUNGI
Destruction OF Blight in Field
Peas Concern of Govern
ment and Farmer.

When field OF peas willis sud
denly without seeming provocation
it is said TO have blight Although
greatly Influenced by soil and wealth
er cond tons. blight is primarily
caused b the plants being attacked
by one or more kinds of fungi. While
there is no one way 70 prevent pea
blight. a system of prevention has
been worked out by the Wisconsin
experiment station and specialists of
the United States department of
agriculture believe the system 10 be
applicable TO other pea-growing
sections Of the United States. The
system consists in securing healthy
seed. rotating crops, using the silo
for green vines. better preparation
of the seed bed, soil fertilization and
soil drainage.
How TO Detect Disease.
; Discussing the nature of the dis
ease. department Of agriculture spe-
cialists explain that if a handful OF
blight stricken pea plants are pulled
up they are found TO have the base
of the stems black and rotten. In
addition TO willing. there may be
brown spots or blotches on the
leaves. stems or pods. When once
started. blight * most destructive in
hot weather following excessive
rains Plants growing on poorly
drained soils suffer much more than
those on fertile, well-drained soils.
Spread of the Disease.
Pea seeds that are produced un-
derneath the spots on the pods fire.
quently carry the disease in their in
terror The seat of the infection is
so we'll protected by the seed coats
that it can not be wholly eliminated
| by disinfection. The disease is also
carried by infected pea straw. man
ure from stock fed on such straw,
and on volunteer vines which come
! up in the fields after harvest. Fur
thermore. il seems TO persist i'm the
soil for several years when once il
/ has become firmly established
through lack Of rotation.
Prevention of Pea Blight.
Seed disinfection is of little value
/ in preventing blight and spraying
I is not much better except on a very
small scale. Here are the main
points in prevention worked out by
| the Wisconsin specialists:
Secure healthy seed from
delds where little or no blight oc-
CURED. II is practically impossible
to detect minor infections on the
seed. hence the reliab ility of the
scotsman should be considered
Rotate crops. This process
hastens the destruction of pea re-
| fuse and volunteer vines where the
blight may be held over winter. A
three TO five-year rotation has given
best results on most soils. although
six or seven years is sometimes not
enough where there is danger Of re-
injecting the soil by surface drain
age water or wind blown dust car
rying bits OF blighted straw.
3.-USe the slO for green vines.
This is an important. practical and
reliable measure from the stand
point Of plant sanitation. because
the vitality Of the disease germs is
destroyed by the ensiling process.
Prepare the seedbed better.
Peas have been grown for centuries
in highly cultivated gardens and re-
spono best to that kind of treat
ment Plants grown i'm poorly pre-
pared sol, are weak and more
quickly succumb TO attacks of blight.
Fall blowing with early spring
working puts most soils in excellent
condition 10 produce good thrifty
plants.
5.-Attend to soil fertilization.
Many seem to think that because a
pea is a legume and harbors nitro
gen-fixing bacteria on its roots il
can look after itself Such is not
the case. The pea plants need
available plant food and there is no
better way TO supply it than by ap-
plications of COW manure narrowed
into the soil in the spring. This
practice has the added advantage Of
helping to prevent the baking and
packing OF the soil about the young
plant stems. Lime is needed il the
soil is acid. and incubation is help
full if the soil is new in the culture
OF peas. well-fed plant is strong
and capable Of withstanding blight
TO a great extent.
Drain the soil we'll Drainage
is a most important factor in insur-
ing a vigorous stand Of plants which
will be relatively free from blight.
Thorough tilinS with ample-sized
tile Will allow the soil 20 be worked
early i'm the spring so that the crop
may be grown before the severely
I hot weather sets in. The tile also
will remove rapidly excess surface
water after rains, which otherwise
would predispose the plants 10
blight.
If in doubt about pea blight and
the most practica bic way for its
prevention in your case. consult the
local county demonstration agent.
write 10 the state agricultural ex-
pertinent station. or the bureau OF
plant industry United States de-
partment Of agriculture.
FIND DYNAMITE ON FARM.
d International News Service.
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