Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1922-12-07
PLANT BOARD CONFERENCE
ENDS.
Specialists Discuss Plant Pest Prob
lens of Mississippi.

| cAiiiiudl 1CuNC VI CilCi Rt0tS \ AeShe
Board has just closed after three days
of the most interesting and instruct
i've sessions ever held by the organi-
cation. All inspectors of the Plant
Board and agents Of the United
States Bureau of Entomology and
Plant Industry in Mississippi were
present, together with representatives
from other states. Prof. r. w.
Harmed, State Entomologist and sec
rotary of the Plant Board, presided
over the meetings. All phases of the
insect pest and plant disease problems
confronting the people of Mississippi
were discussed.
! The pink bollworm situation, as
described by X. H. Townsend, of
Houston, Texas, chief Inspector of
pink bollworm scouting for the Fed
eral Horticultural Board, is very
promising as this destructive pest has
been found this year in only one To-
cality-the Big Bend section of West
Texas. 1t is hoped that it has been
completely eradicated in the other
regions formerly infested, but Mis-
sissippi will continue to insure the
safety of her cotton crop by main
tanning quarantine against Texas,
New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Western
Louisiana.
j. E. Graf and Neale F. Howard of
Birmingham, in charge of Mexican
Bean Beetle Investigations for the
Bureau of Entomology, also brought
cheerful news in the statement that
this pest, which is expected in East
Mississippi at any time, was damag-
ing cowpeas and soy beans less than
had been expected when it first ap-
peared, though garden beans continue
to be seriously injured and COM
pletely destroyed in MANY cases.
The next period was given to an in
teresting lecture on control methods
for important peach pests by Oliver
|. Snapp, who became well-known to
the fruit growers of this state during
his three years work as extension
entomologists of Mississippi. Special
attention was devoted to recent ex-
periments in combating the peach
tree borer with paradichloro benzene,
practical and almost perfect control
for this serious pest.
Prof. P. P Garner, State Commits
sioner of Agriculture and chairman of
the Plant Board, then outlined the
work of the various divisions of the
state department of agriculture, and
commented on the fact that Mlssis-
sippi is wholly dependent on her agrl-
cultural resources Stresslng TINS
statement, he concluded his address
with an inspiring appeal to the Plant
Board inspectors, urging them TO
spare no efforts in helping the farmers
of the State get the greatest possible
returns from their one. source OF
wealth-the soil.
An able discussion of the sugar
cane moth borer was led by Inspector
E. K. Bynum and others. This pest,
so destructive in Louisiana and the
West Indies, has been discovered in
portions of seven counties in South
Mississippi. guarantees prohibit
ing the shipment of sugar cane from
these sections were advised, and every
possible effort will be made to con-
troll the borer and prevent further
spread.
The japanese Camphor Scale stu
alton was presented by DR.. ii. L.
Dozier. a former entomologist of the
Plant Board, now in charge OF the
camphor scale Investigations for the
United States Bureau of Entomology.
This serious pest, which is now found
around New Orleans and at two
places in Alabama, was discovered
at four points in Mississippi last
year but was promptly eradlcated by
the Plant Board and no infestation
is known in Mississippi at present.
An interesting report on Bee d.
sease Eradication was presented by j.
L. E. Lauderdale, in charge OF the
branch. The last apiary inspections
made during the summer show a
marked decrease in the amount of Eu-
ropean and American Foulbrood since
the first inspection in the spring.
With better cooperation, much greater
control, perhaps complete eradication
in the case of American Foulbrood, is
expected during tn ecoming year.
The Sweet Potato Inspection Serv-
ice was next discussed from every
angle in an effort to remove every
hindrance to progress in controlling
Stem Rot and Black Rot during the
coming year. Experiences related by
various inspectors showed that the
inspection service had been worth
thousands of dollars to potato grow
ers and storage houses during the
past season.
K. L. Cockerham, director of sweet
potato weevil eradication in Missis-
sippi, presented report on the OPP
erations against that pest nj hive
counties in South Mississippi, show
ing that while some new infestatlons
had developed within those counties,
the weevils have been almost COM
pletely eradicated from the proper
ties that were first infested, a marked
instance being Hancock County, where
of 81 infested farms in 1918 only
three now have weevils.
The Citrus Canker situation was
ably handled by R. P. Barnhart, who