The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1924-01-11
Plant Industry
Shows Progress
Fight on Diseases Made BY
Selection of Highly Re-
sistant Strains.

The years work of the bureau of
plant industry described in the report
recently made to the secretary of agri-
culture shows much progress in SOW
ing the problems of plant production,
the control of diseases, the breeding of
Improved varieties, the introduction Of
promising seeds and plants from for
eign countries and the development of
methods for the utilization Of perish
able crops, such as fruits and vegeta-
bles. Much of the work done is of the
kind which brings its greatest returns
after there has been time for the COM
mercial development of discoveries.
In combating plant diseases great
deal of progress has been made
through obtaining highly resistant or
immune strains by trial and selection.
In this way strains of wheat have been
secured which promise to be valuable
in sections where hunt has damaged
this crop. Varieties resistant to flag
smut are being developed, and this dis
ease Is no longer considered the men,
ace 1t was thought to be few years
ago. Attempts are being made to
grow strains resistant to both flag
smut and rosette In the study of scab,
a disease which damages both wheat
and corn, it has been discovered that
wheat. seedlings are more resistant
when grown at comparatively low soil
temperatures and that corn seedlings
are more resistant to 1t when the soil
Is warm. Burberry eradication was
carried on extensively In cooperation
with number Of states for the control
Of black stem rust, and up to the-nres
ent time nearly 100000 bushes have
been eradicated. Chemicals are being
used successfully to destroy the bushes
In places where digging is not practi-
cable.
New Crops Developed.
New varieties of oats have been Sc
cured in cooperation with state ex-
pertinent stations and number of
them are being distributed. The root
and st8ik rots of corn have been found
to require special soil management for
their control; in some cases proper
fertilization and amendments are all
that is required. while to control the
paras'+c types crop rotation is needed
In adultion. Some new forage crops
are being developed and improved va
rieties, Of common crops have been
developed and new methods are being
tried for handling them. New and rare
field seeds are being brought into the
country, tried out, increased and dis
tributed to growers
Lack of space in a brief article puts
n limit on the details which can be
given on the various lines of work car
ried on with the many important crops.
Valuable results have been obtained in
the treatment of tobacco sick" soils
and means have been found for the
prevention Of a condition known as
sand drown by the use of magnesia.
Various phases of cotton production
have received attention, including cul-
tural methods and special varieties to
help in the control of the boil weevil,
trials of cotton CHASING In the field
and breeding to maintain the purity of
Egyptian cotton grown in the South
west.
Extensive work has been done with
fruits and nuts, studies have been
made of the possibilities of growing
binder Irvine fiber In Porto. Rico. the
Virgin islands and the Philippines.
The improvement of citrus fruits is
now being greatly increased through
the use Of bud selection from trees
with performance records, method
developed by the department, and
means have been found for the control
of stem-end rot of citrus fruits.
Through work being carried on in the
Southwest the infant date industry is
being greatly stimulated, and there is
a new interest in the production Of
figs. The fruit and nut industries are
being helped not only through the in
PRODUCTION and development Of better
varieties and methods of growing, but
also through studies Of handling and
shipping the products. 1t was shown
that berries produced in. the Northwest.
can be shipped greater distances sue
cessfully If handled more carefully and
preceded. A series of tests have
shown that nuts of various kinds can
be kept from two to three years If held
at temperature as low as 80 degrees.
Plant Diseases combated.
The principal vegetables reported
on were potatoes. sweet potatoes and
PEGS. Improvements have been OBJ
tanned through the selection of seed
stocks, the development of improved
varieties and in the control of diseases.
In the field Of forest trees work has
been carried on with white pine blister
rust, which Is now spreading in the
Northwest, and in the East with chest
nut blight The Chinese chestnut has
been found quite resistant to the dis
ease. In addition to these two impor-
tant trees which are menaced, it is re-
ported that another valuable tree, the
Douglas fir, is in danger of canker,
which occurs on these trees in Scotland