The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1919-05-30

when we may expect outbreaks. All
hog sickness should be reported
promptly, first TO the local veterin-
arian and then to the Farm Bureau
Office that the County Agricultural
Agent may work with the Doctor and
prevent the spread of the disease, by
explaining to the farmers with we'll
herds adjacent to sick hogs the proper
systems Of sanitation and the double
treatment for well hogs so they are
made for all time immune from hog
cholera.
One case of hog cholera has already
been located in Van Buren, County
this spring, and some hogs have died.
We hope the disease will not spread,
but the case was reported so long
after the hogs were first taken sick
that there is grave danger of other
cases appearing as the result of in
lection set up from the above mention
ed case. Watch your hogs closely and
report anything unnatural.
New Grain Disease Appears.
At the request of DIR. G. H. Coons,
Plant Pathologist of the Department
of Botany, Michigan Agriculture
College, | am taking this means to
call the attention of the small grain
growers of the county to the two new
which have appeared near st. Louis,
Illinois.
According to DR.. Coons these di-
seases promise to completely eclipse
in seriousness all of our now general
diseases of grain. 1t looks as though
: would be the best thing in the long
run for all grain growers to follow
DR.. Coons suggestions and report all
suspicious fields, that the same may
be inspected by men competent to de-
termine whether or not the disease
is present. A copy of Dr. Coons' let
ter to the writer follows, as in it he
describes these new diseases in detail.
Dear County Agent:
You have doubtless noticed in the
press dispatch a great deal concern
ing the new diseases "Take-all" and
"Flag-smut" which have been dis
covered in Illinois near st. Louis.
| have just returned from a confer.
ence of state and government path
ologists called to consider these di-
seases and wish to bring to your at
tention their seriousness and the
necessity Of reporting any cases Of
stunted wheat which may seem sus-
picious.
"Take-all" is a fungus root. rot
causes by Ophiobolus graminis. which
until now had not been known for the
United States. 1t is extremely pre-
valent in Australia and is undoubted-
ly their worst wheat disease.
In its attack on wheat it causes the
stools sprawling on the ground and
looking like quack-grass. Instead of
producing a normal head, the shoots
are replaced by wiry spinding out
growths which never amount TO any
thing. 1t is characteristic that the
diseased parts are discolored and rot
ted. A mahogany brown color is
characteristic.
"Flag-smut" is another Australian
disease, so far unknown in the United
States. 1t is extremely significant
that the two diseases were found to-
gether in the same fields at Granite
City, Illinois. 1t seems evident that
the two diseases were brought in on
the seed together
What is still more significant to us
in Michigan is the fact that 'Take-all'
has been found in three Indiana coun-
ties, one of which is LaPorte county,
near Chicago.
The disease has been known in the
United States for two weeks. and all
government agencies are bending
every effort. to find how extensive