The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-23
CHEMIST WOULD
SAVE COTTON

G. j. Lipscomb, professor of chem
istry in the University of South Caro-
lima, offers to the growers of cotton a
plan based on laboratory experiments,
which, it is believed, will save to
them millions of dollars in prevent
ing the disease commonly known as
boil rot, and many millions of dollars
besides by hurrying the termination
and growth of the cotton plant and in
that way getting ahead of the boil
weevil pest.
The central idea that Professor
Lipscomb has developed has been the
elimination of boil rot and other dis
eases that affect the cotton plant. This
is brought about by heating to boiling
temperature after thoroughly drying
the seed and by immersion for short
period in concentrated sulphuric acid.
This treatment not only kills all dis
ease germs but also completely re-
moves the lint. The laboratory exper-
iments made by DR.. Lipscomb indicate
that the process will be altogether
successful and as near fool-proof as
any operation and it takes no elaborS
ate apparatus or machinery for treats
ment of the seed. In fact, any farm
er with metal pot and sulphuric
acid of proper strength can do the
necessary work to insure first the
elimination of the germ disease in the
cottonseed and second to bring about
an early termination of the seed. -
The experiments have covered every
possible angle, both in the laboratory
and in the use of the seed and have
been carried over on period Of two
years of intensive work by DR.. Lips
comb in the university Laboratories.
The cottonseed subjected to this
treatment will come up within 80 or
36 hours, while seeds which have net
been treated in this way require four
OF five days.
The removal of anthracnose, or
boil rot, prevents the injury or de-
struction to the crop by cold weather
while the plants are small. The boil
weevil fourishes in cold weather ana
it's removal makes the plant harder.
The removal of the lint by the Lips
comb Treatment will permit the use of
a mechanical planter placing two or
tbEss sssds q! J 9 . RHs ! 3 3 segepsHs |e
extra plants with hoe, as is the GUS
tom at present. DR.. Lipscomb and
some of his associates on the faculty
are now at work on planter that will
make use of this idea. The choppirg
out of the surplus cotton plants dis
turbs the earth about those that a.
left and retards growth for a week
or two. These improvements will ad-
vance the crop and to that extent a.d
in overcoming the crop and to that ex
tent aid in overcoming the ravages Of
the boil weevil. The removal of lint
by the sulphuric acid process permits
the floating of infertile seed so that
only perfect seed are planted.
Briefly stated, the process that has
been worked out by DR.. Lipscomb is
first drying and then heating of the
seed to temperate of boiling water
and then treating with strong sui
phuric acid. The sulphuric acid is en-
ployed for the purpose of removing
the lint and the outer coating of
the cottonseed. thereby killing all
fungus diseases, particularly the boil
rot. According to the experiments of
DIR. Lipscomb, in actual practice it
may not be necessary or advisable to
use the heating treatment, the expert
ments having shown that the simple
use of strong sulphuric acid will re-
move SO per cent of the disease from
the sed while it is removing the lint
and strengthening the outer coating
of the seed.
Everyone knows that raw sulphuric
acid is quite cheap and there is moth.
ing in the way Of using the process
and getting the maximum results and
at practically no cost to the farmer
In fact, DIR. Lipscomb points out that
the original sulphuric acid can be
repeatedly used with very little loss
but that it is necessary to maintain
the thickness or viscosity of the sui.
phuric acid so that it does not actual
ly penetrate the ports of the cotton
seed.
The process that has been outlined