Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1920-07-28
MUCH DAMAGE BY
TOBACCO "RUST''
Is Reported By Experiment Sta
tion Experts-Adjoining Coun-
ties Largely Affected

!SeaSe that attacks the leaves could
not be estimated Tuesday by the
experts at the Kentucky Expert
ment Station, but it is certain the
loss will amount to many thous-
ands of dollars, says the Lexing
ton Leader.
DR.. Valleau, after a partial in
spection of the infected area, said
I the damage in fields which he had
seen would amount to between
l$150OO0 and $4,000 and if there
is much rain and wind the loss
will mount considerably higher.
I A large number Of infected
fields have been found in Fayette
county and samples of damaged
tobacco have been received by Dr.
w. d. Valleau, plant pathologist,
from Scott, Bourbon, Jessamine,
and Clark counties within the last
ten days.
DR.. Valleau and H. M. Milton,
tobacco specialist, made a trip
over the county for the purpose
Of further investigating the di-
sease.
Investigations made so far in
dicate the infection is caused by
two distinct diseases One is what
Is commonly known as rust, bac-
terial infection, which usually
hits tobacco about cutting time.
This year, however, it has made
its appearance several weeks pre-
viously, and just what effect it
will have on the plants cannot be
determined as yet. When the
disease attacks the leaves near
cutting time, the tobacco can be
cut and the damage is only slight.
II other disease bears a close
resemblance to wild fire." a bac-
teriaJ disease which has been do
ing much damage in North Caro-
lima for the last four years. So
far as the Experiment Station ex-
perts have been able to determine,
this is the first appearance of the
disease in Kentucky.
DIR. Nalleau is devoting all of his
time to an investigation and study
of the infections, but as yet no
remedy has been discovered.
Since both of the diseases are
bacterial infections, they are
spread by the wind and rain from
leaf to leaf, experts say. 1t has
been noticed that the side of the
leaf on the side from which the
rain is coming is the worst af-
fected
DIR. Nalleau and Prof. n. r. FL
lott, leader of horticulture in the
extension division, Experiment
Station. several days ago made an
inspection of several farms in the
county and say the infection is
widespread.
The found the tobacco on 40
acre tract owned by ]. ID. Gay,
near Pine Grove, badly infected
with rust, and his damage is es-
timated at between $4,000 an'
I$l5.OCO A 35-acre field Of tobac-
co, owned by c. r. Ratcliff, on the
Walnut Hill pike, is also infected:
j What effect the disease will
have on tobacco's growth cannot
be ascertained at this time, but
some farmers are of the opinion
it will cause the growth to cease.
Characteristics of both diseases
were outlined by DIR. Valleau, who
said the infections have been alb
IsoIute1y recognized as rust and
wild fire.
When a plant is infected with
wild fire" a yellow spot first ap-
.lpears about "a hours after a rain
and is from IA to IL of an inch
in diameter. A small brown spot
then appears inside the other spot
land around it is wide yellow
halo. This is the,condition at the
end of about y hours.
+, The yellow spot spreads until,
in usually bad cases, it takes IN
practically the entire leaf The
plant infected with wild fire"
generally loses the green color in
the leaf. This disease is found
Especially south and east of Lex
ington.
II characteristics Of rust are that
!, there is first brown spot with a
I narrow yellow halo around it, in
t contrast to the wide halo on
: plants infected with 'wild fire."
DIR. Valleau stated he had visit
ed some thirty farms and had
found rust prevalent on practical
ly all of them. 1t occurs in ag-
: lgravated form on only few how
: ever.
Z "Wild fire" appeared in plant
!, beds in the spring and caused the
: complete destruction of some Of
! them. 1t was carried into the
= fields on the plants and spread by