The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1919-08-22
New Wheat Diseases Seem To BE Well
Under Control.

new meat Diseases seem 10 bc wen
Under Control.
Indications are that the two dread
ed foreign foes of wheat, flag smut
and take-all, will not become wide
spread in the United States. The U.
S. Department of Agriculture an
nounces that the two States where
these diseases appeared, Indiana and
Illinois. have taken steps that will
prevent the spread of the diseases
from the infected fields and that
should wipe out in few years the
infection in fields where It exists.
Indiana officials came to the recent
hearing in Washington with adequate
safeguards already placed. Shortly
after the hearing, Illinois establish
ed similar safeguards. All the infec-
ted wheat in both States is under con-
troll and will be disinfected before any
use whatever Is made of II. All
straw and stubble are to be burned,
thrashing machines are to be thor
oughly dsinfected, and no wheat is
TO be grown in an infected area for
several ye1rs.
Under these conditions full conf
dence is felt that neither of the dis
eases will spread from the diseased
areas in Illinois and Indiana. That
does not mean, however, that the
fight against flag smut and take-all
-, L. tk.t
both of the diseases exist this year in
places where they have not been rec
ognized. There is; however no great
probability that this is true. The De-
partment of Agriculture and its CO.
operating agencies hays boon diligent-
ly on the lookout for these two di-
seases all summer and have foInd no
evidences of them exccpt III the two
areas. Both flag smut and ta,;e-all
occur in Illinois and only takc-all in
Indiana. The experts. however. real
ize the possibility that some Infested
spots may haze escaped observation.
and it would not he surprising If
diseased fields are found next spring.
In the meantime. there will be no
let-up in the work of preventing eth
or Of the diseases from getting real
foothold anywhere in the United /
States The Federal Department Is !
working with the authorities of ILL |
nois and Indiana. giving them every /
possible aid. Its Psychologists are /
energetically studying the diseases. !
and its representatives are searching
the country over to make certain |
whether or not there are other infest- !
ed areas and To see that effective |
measures of control are available If ,
any such areas are discovered.
Prompt Action Prevents Quarantine
The cooperation of State authori-
ties is essential in order to prevent ,
hardship if further infestations /
should be discovered. Only prompt
action of Indiana and Illinois pre-
vented 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 State but to deal
ers, millers. and consumers. Even
prompter State action will be desira-
BILE If either of the diseases is found
later to exist in any other State.
Neither of these diseases is likely
to find its way into the country again
from outside sources. The Depart
ment of Agriculture has established
quarantine regulations against all
the rest of the world in which either
of the diseases exists. No small
grain can come in for any purpose
unless It has been thoroughly steriliz- {
ed with steam heat. II is the pur- {
pose of the department. says its Off
cials, to make the cleanup of these
plant plaques as thorough and as
prompt as II did the fOot-and-mouth
disease Of animals a few years ago. :
Guard Against Hessian Fly Now. [
Losses to the present winter wheat ,
crOD from the HeSsian fly have been