The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1922-05-19
INSTRUCTIVE NEMATODES
CAN NOW BE CONTROLLER
Practical and Cheap Treatment VIII
Save Millions

The nematOde can be controlled.
THAT is a settled fact. On the eXperl"
mental farm of the College of Agrl-
culture, Gainesville, is conclusive
proof that this is true.
This eel-like pest should be con
trolled, too Its annual damage TO
the farmers and truckers OF this state
mounts into the millions OF dollars
# burrows into and lives upon the
roots of such plants as tomatoes, snap
beans, cowpeas, okra, cotton, roses
and peach trees. Many other plants
are also affected. Forming enlarge
ments on the roots in which they live,
these insects suck the juices from
their host plants and multiply by the
millions.
No more injurious soil pest OF
plants is known to the agricultural
world. Experiments for its contro'
have been carried on for years. Prot,
J. r. Watson, of the Florida EXperl-
ment Station. has devoted much OF
his time to this project and at last
he has discovered simple remedy
for this trouble maker. Recently
was asked for advice which would be
Applicable to the Florida farmer o.
trucker. He said:
IF you have piece OF land tha'
is badly infested with nematodes, you
can do nothing better than to gro"
that land to bunch velvet beans dur
ling summer, keeping the soil con
stantly stirred. You will thus eiiml
nate the worms and improve your
land at the same time."~
There are at least three fundamen
tai principles involved in the cOntro
; of the nematode, according to Proi
Watson. First, the worm hatche'
from eggs. To hatch these eggs re
ouires warmth. air and moisture
, Fail TO provide any one OF these three
! things and there will be no Matching
altho the eggs will continue to i've
: Second. the worms do not live upol
? 1.-THE roots Of all plants. The veiVe
p bean is one of the plants that is i'm
r mune to the nematOde. Third, sol
4 kent exposed to the hot sun is burn
m" or depleted of its soil life
These principles give rise to tn
following directions for what seem
most practical and economical
method of controlling the nematode
/. Upon infested land grow crop
that are immune to the n"matod"'
= Bunch velvet beans is preferred 10
d this.
q >. Keep that soil constantly stn
y rcd. This permits air to reach tn
a eggs and the worms. The eggs hat"
ont and. denied the food they d
: mand, the worms starYe.
= The bunch velvet bean is recon
!. NJ ended in preference to the runniN
! velvet bean because it permits cult
!. walton which is necessary to preve'
!. the forming of a crust on tho surt&.
:: of the soil, which crust viii pr"Yel
J. the entrance of air.
: The writ~r visited Professor w"
: sons experimental plots. In one
:: stance snap beans were seen groWi'
!. on a plot that had been given L
&: foregoing treatment last year. a
!. other plot was given exactly the san
l. treatment except that it was plant
+ to cowpeas instead of bunch velv
!: beans. The first plot had crop
! snap beans estimated to be at lea
!: eighteen times better than the sn
]: bean crop of the plot which ere
&: cowpeas last year Therefore,
J: have conclusive evidence that
: nematode can be controlled.
: The farmer or trucker who is be
! The farmer or trucker who is bo
:: cred by this insect should grow bun
!. velvet beans on his land during su
/ mer and keep it constantly cultiyat
:: for four or five months. In one St
-: son the trick may be turned.