South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-08-02
WILL ERADICATE
WHEAT DISEASES
alag Smut" and "Take AII'
Will Not Become
Widespread.
indications are that the two dread.

Indications are that the two dread
ed foreign foes OF wheat. flag
smut" and take-all." will not be
come widespread in the United
States The United States depart
ment OF agriculture announces that
Ire two states where these diseases
appeared. Indiana and Illinois. have
taken steps that will prevent the
spread OF the diseases from the in
fected fields and that should wipe
out in few years the infection in
fields where II exists.
Indiana officials came to the re-
cent hearing in Washington with
adequate safeguards already placed.
shortly after the hearing. Illinois
established similar safeguards All
the infected wheat in both states is
under control and will be disinfected
before any use whatever Is made or
H. All straw and stubble are TO be
burned. thrashing machines are TO
be thoroughly disinfected, and no
wheat is TO be grown in infected
f-reas for several years.
Fight Not over.
Under these conditions full con-
hdence is felt that neither OF the
diseases will spread from the dis
eased areas in Illinois and Indiana.
That does not mean, however, that
the fight against flag smut and take
all is over. II is possible that one
or both of the diseases exist this
year in places where they have not
been recognized There is, how
ever. no great probability that this
is true. The department of agri-
culture and its cooperating agencies
have been diligently on the lookout
for these two diseases all summer
ana have found no evidences OF
them except in the two areas. Both
Tag and smut and take-all occur in
Illinois and only take-all in Indiana.
The experts. however, realize the
possibility that some infested spots
nav have escaped observation, and
it would not be surprising If dis
cased fields are found elsewhere
reXt spring.
In the meantime. there will he no
Ict-up in the work Of preventing
either Of the diseases from getting
2 real foothoId anywhere in the
United States ; The federal depart
ment Is working with the authOri-
ties OF Illinois and Indiana, giving
them every possible aid It's pathol-
ogists are energetically studying the
diseases and its Representatives are
searching the country over 10 make
certain whether or not there are
other infested areas and 20 see that
effective measures OF control are
available II any such areas are dis
covered
Action Prevents Quarantine.
The cooperation of state authori-
ties is essential in order TO prevent
hardship II further infestations
should be discovered. Only the
prompt action OF Indiana and IlH-
uois prevented the placing of
quarantine against all the wheat in
those states. a measure which would
have meant hardship, not only to
all the wheat growers in the two
states but TO dealers, millers and
consumers Even prompter state
action VIII ne desirable II elther OF
the diseases is found later 10 exist
in any other state
Neither OF these diseases is likely
to find its way into the country
again from outside sources. The de-
partrent OF agriculture has estab-
lished quarantine regulations against
all the rest of the world in which
either OF the diseases exists. No
small grain can come in for any pur-
rose unless IL has been thoroughly
Sterilized with steam heat. II is
the purpose OF the department say
its officials. 10 make the cleanup
OF these plant plaques as thorough
and as prompt as It did the foot
and-mouth disease OF animals few
years ago.