Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-08-07
SAYS
The NEMATODE
DAMAGES CROP

Have you ever met nemat0de,~-
= wheat nematode? You have not. He
hasn't reached this section, yet He
wigJ arrive in due time as he is a
new boarder for the farmer who
feeds all and everybody, weevils, birds
wild animals and tame, and mankind
in general. The following circular
fern the state entomoligst tells
about him.
Whereas the fact has been deter
mined that a serious disease of wheat
known as nematode OF eelworm dis
ease of wheat, caused by Tylenchus
tritici (Steinbuch), this disease being
pgw to and not now known to exist
IN the State of Georgia, except in the
county of Jackson, is widely distrib-
uted IL several states inthe United
States, and that this disease can
readily be transported or spread in
the seed wheat, and;
whereas, this disease Is very de-
structive and is liable to spread from
these states to Georgia, and from
Jackson county to other sections of
the state, causing great damage to
the wheat industry;
The Georgia State Board of Ento-
mology, by virtue of the authority
vested in it in sections 2125-2135 Of
the General Code hereby prohibits the
delivery in Georgia of seed wheat or
iginating in California, New York.
West Virginia and MARYLAND and from
all other states which are at present
or may GREATER be infel tel ~ this
disease, and;
Provided further that the seed
wheat originating in the above states
or those that may later become in
Tested, may be shipped into Georgia
when each sack or package, or ship
ment bears an official certificate or
tag Of the state Inspector or other
authorized official of the state in which
such shipments originate, certifying
that the wheat is free from the nen1a-
tOde Or eelworm, and originated in an
area shown by actual inspection to
be free from the nematode or eel
worm.
The shipment of wheat from Jack.
son county, Georgia, is hereby pro.
hibited except on special certificate
issued by the Georgia State Board of
Entomology.
The above regulations to be effec-
i've 81 and after August ! 1919.
This is but half Of the story. Tie
alarm was first sounded By the FEEDER
al Horticultural Board at Washing
ton on June 18TH On .Tune 21st A.
c. Lewis, State Entomologist Of the
Georgia Board was on hand in Wash
lngton with information that Jack
son county in this state was the oriv
county where nematodes showed in
wheat, with the result that instead Of
putting quarantine on the whole
state, only the county Of Jackson was
placed under the ban. But for this
prompt action the whole Of the wheat
crop OF the state would have been
queered and next winters seed wheat
would have had to been purchased
abroad at the sellers urice, which is
bound to be large. In addition, Jack
son being a wheat county and ac-
customed to supplying many counties
with seed would have innocently in
flleted serious damage.
The nematode or eelworm disease
IS caused by tiny worm which at
lacks the young seeding, causing
decided rolling, wrinkling, twisting
or other distortion of the leaves. The
plants may die, or if they mature
tney always produce diseased heads
bearing black gals filled with eelworm
larvae. When the gals are sown
with the wheat the nematodes escape
and again infect the seedlings. Loss
es OF from fifty to eighty per cent
have been caused in some fields by
TINS organism, so the authorities de-
care, The disease is called tynec,ous
tr1tlcl, If you want to study it in the
books.
In the light of this information it
would seem advisable for every farm
er who has on hand wheat from an
infected crop to hold on to it, or if
ne expects to plant again to look
around for supply. The disease is
certain to spread in the wheat states
and prices to increase. Six or eight
dollars per bushel for guaranteed
wheat is not improbable. The estima-
led crop this year for Georgia is
about half million bushels, worth
about tenmillion dollars.
Some day the Georgia legislature
is gclng to wake up to the value of
IT'S State Board of Entomology and
give 1t unlimited opportunities. It's
nne work in tracing out the diseases
OF the peach would justify this. Geor-
gla knows peach culture better than
any other state in the union and the
knowledge that she has gained comes
from scientific sources. For instance
brown rot and leaf cure are preven-
table diseases and have haen s,1ccass-