Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1922-03-01
CHEMIST WOULD SAVE COTTON.
University OF South Carolina Man
Has Been Experfmenting.
(The State, Feb. 23.l

| ~ (ine state, Feb. 49, &f
! G. J. Lipscomb, professor of chem
istry In the University Of South Car
olina, offers to the growers OF cotton
a plan based on laboratory expert
ments, which, it is believed, will
save to them millions of. dollars in
preventing the disease commonly
known as boil rot, and many mil
lions Of dollars besides by hurrying
the termination and growth OF the
cotton plant, and in that way gctting
| ahead OF the boil weevil pest.
The central idea that Prof. Lips
comb 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 a short period in concentrated
sulphurlc acid. This treatment not
only kills the disease germs, but al
so completely removes the lint. The
laboratory experiments made by DR..
Lipscomb indicate that the process
will be altogether successful and as
near fool-proof as any operation, and
1t takes no elaborate apparatus or
machinery for the treatment Of the
seed. In fact, any farmer with a
metal pot and sulphuric acid Of the
proper strength can do the necessary
work to insure first the elimination
Of the germ disease in the cotton
seed, and, second, to bring about an
early termination Of the seed.
Wide Experiments.
The experiments have covered ev-
cry possible angle, both in the lab
oratory and in the use Of the seed,
and have been carried on over a pc
riod Of two years Of intensive work
by Dr.. Lipscomb in the university
laboratories.
The cotton seed subjected to this
treatment will come up within 80 or
SO hours, while seeds which have
not been treated in this way require
four or five days.
The removal Of anthracnose, or
boil rot, prevents the injury or de-
struction 10 the crop by cold weather
while the plants are small. The boil
weevil flourishes in cold weather and
its removal makes the plant harder
The removal of the lint by the Lips
comb treatment will permit the use
Of mechanical planter placing two
or three seeds to hill, thus remov-
Ing the necessity of later chopping
out the extra plants with hoe, as
, Is the custom at present. DR.. Lips
comb and some Of his associates on
: the faculty are now at work on
planter that will make use OF this
idea. The chopping out Of the sur
plus cotton plants disturbs the earth
about those that are left and retards
growth for week two. These i'm
provements will advance the crop,
and to that extent aid in overcoming
! the raVages OF the boil weevil. The
removal OF lint by the sulphuric acid
! process permits the floating of in
fertile seed so that only perfect seed
are planted.
A Resume of Process.
Briefly stated, the process that has
been worked out by DR.. Gipscomb Is
, first drying and then heating Of the
seed to temperature Of boiling wa
| ter, and then treating with strong
sulphuric acid. The sulphuric acid
Is employed for the purpose Of re-
moving the lint and the outer coat
ing Of the cotton seed, thereby kill
ing all fungus diseases, particularly
the boil rot. According to the exper-
iments OF DR.. Lipscomb, in actual
practice 1t may not be necessary or
advisable to use the heating treat
ment, the experiments having shown
that the simple use Of strong sui
phurlc acid will remove 90 per C
Of the disease from the seed while 1t
Is removing the lint and strengthen
ing the outer coating Of the seed.
Every one knows that raw sui
phuric acid Is quite cheap, and there
Is nothing 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 a
| very little loss, but that 1t is neces-
sary to maintain the thickness or
viscosity Of the sulphuric acid so
that 1t does not actually penetrate
the ports OF the cotton seed.
The process that has been outlined
will bring about such q saving in the
use Of seed that 1t will more than
pay for the use OF the sulphurtc. acid.
HOW'S THIS?
HALLS CATARRH MEDICINE
1