The Ocala banner., 1922-09-08
ITEMS OF INTEREST TO THE FARMER
AND STOCK GROWER -


out the United States. These men
gave n as their opinion that in all
kinds ~ farm stock pure bceds have
an earning power more than 40 per-
cent better than common stock It
Is noteworthy that in the case Of dairy
caa'e whose productive power can
be easly measured. pure breds were
considered to be AIS percent better
than common cows The lowest per.
eentage given for any kind of stock
3s.S per cent.
Colorado Potato Beetle Now Menac-
ins France
Although plaques Of insects that at
tack our crops often become gradually
less destructive. through adaptation of
control measures and the development
~ q liking for the pests by native in.
sect or bird enemies, they still exact
huge tribute each year from the
farmer.
A case in point is the Colorado po-
tato beetle. which in its eastward
march so years ago threatened TO wipe
out the important potato crop. It's
distribution toward the South and
West has been less rapid than
that directly eastward, and it is well
controlled by natural enemies Iand
the use of insecticides. The amount
annually expended for arsenical pois-
Ons and their application against this
pest probably reaches $40, 900, 900.
Although the control of this pest is
now we'll understood by American p0-
tat0 growers. its recent appearance
in France in the vicinity Of Bordeaux
Is causing much alarm to French
farmers and entOmologists. 1t has
apparently already spread there be-
yond the possibility of determination
and the authorities have been obliged
TO take up the question of legal
action TO enforce spraying with ar
senicals. The situation is regarded as
so serious that the establishment of
zones in which no potatoes can be
grown is being considered.
Seeking Data Abroad For Fighting
Wheat Stem Rust
In the hope of finding facts that
Will be Of value in fighting the stem
rust Of wheat in this country DR.. E.
c. Stakman. agent of the United
States Department of Agriculture and
pathologist of the Minnesota Agricul-
tural Experiment Station, is spending
the sumner in various countries of
Europe making detailed studies Of the
occurrence AMI severity Of the disease,
especially with reference to its appear.
ance on barberry bushes. He is also
collecting much information on rusts
in general.
In France and Spain. where he Wis
tied the principal wheat-gr0wing re-
gions, he found no stem rust on wheat.
oats. barley. or rye. Although there
were many barberries. few OF them
showed any signs of this rust, but in
Spain plant pathologists informed him
that the common barberry and an in
tigenous species are responsible for
the early appearance of stem rust in
the spring.
Doctor Stakmau reports great inter
est in breeding and selection OF wheat
varieties resistant to this disease and
emphasizes particularly the work of
several eminent French investigators
While travelling through France.
Spain. and Italy he found little stem
rust, but this little was always asso-
ciated with barberry bushes. The con-
sensus OF opinion in these countries is
that. although stem rust does occur
remota from the barberry, it develops
later in the crop season and causes
very much less damage than in those
sections where the shrub is common.
TAA