The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-02-24
UNIVERSITY CHEMIST
WOULD SAVE COTTON
C. J.. LIPScOMB, PROFESSOR AT
CAROLINA, HAS PLAN, BAS-
ED ON EXPERIMENTS, HE
BELIEVES WILL PREVENT
BOIL ROT =

Columbia, Feb. 23.-G. J. Lips
comb, professor of chemistry in the
University of South Carolina, Of
fers 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 dol
lars besides by hurrying the germi-
nation 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
diseases that affect the cotton
plant. This is brought about by
heating to boiling temperature af-
ter thoroughly drying the seed and
by immersion for a short period in
concentrated sulphuric acid. This
treatment not only kills all disease
germs but also completely removes
the lint. The laboratory expert
ments, made by DR.. Lipscomb indi-
cate that the process will he alto
gether successful and as near fool
proof as any operation and it takes
no elaborate apparatus or machinery
for the treatment Of the seed. In
fact, any farmer with a 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
a period of two years of intensive
work by DR.. Lipscomb in the uni.
versity laboratories.
The cottonseed 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 anthrocnose, or
boil rot, prevents the injury or de-
suction to the crop by cold wealth
er while the plants are small. The
boil weevil 1ourishes in cold wealth
er and its removal makes the plant
harder. The removal of the lint by
the Lipscomb treatment will per-
init the use of a mechanical plant
err placing two or three seeds to a
hill, thus removing the necessity of
later chopping out the extra plants
with a hoe, as is the custom at pres
ent. DR.. Lipscomb and some of his
associates on the faculty are now
at work on a planter that will make
use of this idea. The chopping out
of the surplus cotton plants dis
turbs the earth about those that are
left and retards growth for a week
or two. These improvements 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 per-
mits the floating of infertile seed
so that only perfect seed are plant
ed.
Briefly stated, the process that
has been worked out by DR.. Lips
comb is first drying and then heat
ing of the seed to a temperature of
boiling water and then treating
with strong sulphuric acid. The sui
phuric acid is employed 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 DR.. Lipscomb
in actual practice it may not be
necessary or advisable to use the
heating treatment, the experiment
having shown that the simple use of
strong sulphuric acid will rmove SO
per cent of the disease from the
seed while it is removing the lint
and strengthening the outer coating
of tho seeds