Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-03-08
SOME SUGGESTIONS RELATIVE
TO TEE PROTECTION OF
GARDEN CROPS

This is the season of the year
| when most persons undertake to
plant out a few fruit trees in the
home garden. The suggestions which
follow are intended primarily to
serve the interest of the small farm
to the interest of the commercial
grower. In planting out nursery
stock, for instance, it is of the ut
most Importance that the purchaser
obtain healthy trees. The diseases
which he should guard against with
"root-knot" or "crown-gall." These
troubles are easily recognized and
should any affected stock reach the
hands of the landowner he should
examine it carefully and IT there Is
evidence of either of these troubles
being present reject 1t lmmedlately.
1t is absolutely useless to plant out
diseased trees. Not only does it rep
resent a. waste of time and energy,
including the cost or purchase price
of the trees, but 1t is certain that
the individual concerned Will never
reap any material dement's from trees
of this character. In spite OF all the
safeguards and precaution which
NAV be thrown around the distr1bu-
tion of nursery stock some diseased
trees appear to find their way to the
landowner, and therefore 1t seems
very desirable at this time to en-
phasize this matter.
1t is equally undesirable for the
landowner to use potato slips, cab
bage, or tomato plants which have
been shipped in from unknown
sources. These plants may be dis
eased upon their receipt. They may
have been grown on lands infected
with fungus diseases and which Will
develop Immediately the plants are
set out under favorable soil and eli
matte conditions. The use of dis
eased plants means that the lndl-
viduaI concerned will fail to reap
profitable harvest. Worse than that,
his land may become infested with
fungus diseases which will MAINTAIN
themselves in the soil through Sc
ries of years. Do not take any
chances, therefore. in the purchase
of plants of this character from un-
known sources or from partles
whose reliability has not been THOR
oughly vouched for and established
Should plants be recelveo, tira' b, "p
pear to be sickly or unhealthy purn
them Immediately. Most people think
if they throw away stock OF this
character they have done all that IS
necessary, but they should TeIneli-
Der that probably enough ln1ectloh
is contained in these p!anIs +bese
manently establish some OF tnese
diseases on land areas where they
have never previously developed.
When it comes to the bedding out
of sweet potatoes remember tnaC
onIy sound smooth ones snoulo DC
selected. Be certain that the color
is good and that there are apSoluIe5,
Iv no evidences of disease. Shoulu
anv of those potatoes show any evil
Ge1ce of discoloration discard them
Immediately. Again a word OF warn
ing! Do not throw these potatoes
ON the trash pile or the manure neap
~. into the hog lot, but burn them.
When YOU have done this you nave
effectively destroyed the carriers Oh
disease which they may contain
In the case of Irish potatoes use
for seed only those tubers which are
clean and smooth and free from
scab. If Irish potatoes show dlscol-
grafton when they are cut they are
not in good condition, and to plant
them would be utter folly. AS yet
we do not appear to have been trou-
bled much with wart in potatoes IN
the south, and we should spare no
effort to prevent our lands from be.
coming infested with this wretched
disease. The wise landowner will
use only the best seed stock. 1t is
by far the cheapest in the long run.
1t may cost a little more but his re-
turns will be larger than If he used
any other type of plants. The rea,
son for this is due to the small
amount of disease which is likely to
be present in his field at harvest
time.
In protecting oneself against fun
gous diseases a. rotation of crops is
necessary. This is one of the best
methods of fighting. troubles of this
character. 1t is not difficult to plan
q rotation even on a small garden
area, and where one is operating on
a fairly extensive basis a rotation of
crops is desirable for many reasons
besides the mere control of the
spread of undesirable plant diseases.