The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1921-01-19
Good Adbice on Treatment of
"Wadfre' and Other Tobacco Diseases

set down as a rule with few exception:
that the presence Of either disease IL
the field indicates its presence in tn,
plant bed
A careful inspection is often nee.
essary to show the presence or dis.
ease in the bed. This is particularly
true OF angular-spot. as the spots here
are small and rather inconspicuous
They are seen most easily at about
the time Of transplanting The disease
becomes established in the field by the
setting of diseased plants from the
bed The chances for rapid spread and
general infection in the field increase
as the percentage of diseased plants
set from the bed increases.
The problem of control centers on
the plant bed If il can be kept free
from disease the chances of loss in
the field are slight Once the disease
is established in the field there is lit
tie or nothing that can be done to
check its spread.
Infection in the seed bed usually
comes from one of three sources: the
seed. the cover or the soil OF these
the seed is undoubtedly the most com
mon and important source. Both dis
eases occur on seed where selected
from plants entirely free from dis
ease there would be no danger of in
lection from this source. Unfortun-
ately. the diseases are now so general
that it is difficult to find disease free
fields, and the selection of disease
free seed is thereby possible in only
an occasionally field Seed treatment
is therefore necessary to insure "a
gainst introduction of the disease into
the bed on the seed
Even though the seed be free from
infection may be introduced
by the cloth cover or the soil Next
to the seed, the cover seems to be of
most importance. If an old cover. that
has been used on an infected bed the
previous year, is employed it is quite
probable that some of the disease bac-
terra will be retained on it, and serve
as source of infection for the new
crop
Although it has not been proved
that the bacteria can live over in the
soil of the plant bed. it is quite pos
sible that some infection may come
from this source. 1t is highly advis-
able as precautionary measure that
a new bed to be made up each year.
Burning the old bed would probably
not insure complete freedom from in
lection.
Control of the Disease.
1t will be seen from the foregoing
discussion that control of angular
'pot and wildfre consists of preven-
ion of infection in the plant bed The
II do
signed to insure freedom from infec- !
ion in the bed are:
L. Use of disease free seed.
>. Use of clean cover
,. Use of a new plant bed.
The second and third measures
iced explanation The cover should
'e of new cloth. or If old cloth used |
t should be Boiled in water for few
minutes. A new cover is preferable |
nd the cost is a small item when
omPared with the value of the crop
The plant bed should be on new
round not subject to drainage from
ther beds where untreated seed or
overs are used. Disease free seed may
e obtained from fields which are en-
rely free from either angular-spot or
lildfre or by treatment which will
estroy the bacteria without injury
D the seed Even through the seed
) thought to be free from disease,
reatment is desirable as an extra pre-
aution
The treatment is as follows: The
eed should be soaked for fifteen min
ties in solution of formaldehyde
he solution is made by adding one
unce of forty per cent formaldehyde'
, one pint of water After treatment
he seed should be washed thoroughly
/ water and spread out to dry The
eed may be kept for several months
-ithout injury providing they have
cen washed and dried thoroughly.
Formaldehyde may be obtained at
lost drug torres and is usually sold
the forty per cent strength. 1t is
liquid which is non-poisonous. but
lie fumes are irritating to the eyes.
Ose. and throat
In treating. the seed may be stirred
all or jar: then strained off through
fine cheese cloth. The seed should be
Tired into the solution throughout
lie fifteen minutes period.
The additional precautions which
e necessary are mostly self evident.
here are cases on record where
rmers have visited their neighbors'
ant beds to become familiar with
lie appearance of the diseases, hand
d plants there. returned and inspect
their own beds. and in this way
ansmitted the infection Also cases
here farmers have helped each other