The Wilmington morning star., 1944-10-09
RESEARCH EXPERTS
FILE LEAF REPORTS

The 66th annual report OF tn
Agricultural Experiment station
State College, as reported by D
rector L. L. 5aver, carries info1
nation on blue mold and flea bee
tie spray combinations, protectlol
Of newly set tobacco plants, mel.
control of hornworm and new warn
cites Of tobacco.
1.-THE addition of calcium ARISEN
ate to standard blue mold splays
was found to be effective IN reduc.
ing flea beetle populations in plan'
beds" says the report. "Protec'
ton from flea beetle infestatlon
was. also afforded the plants Tor
!. limited time after they had oeen
set in the field. There was no evid-
ence that calcium arsenate had an
Injurious effect on the blue molo
sprays"
Research men concluslvely de-
monstrated that insecticides ap-
plied in the plant beds immediate
II before plants were set in the
field protected the plants from flea
beetle infestation during the cri-
teal period when they were becom-
ing established.
Flea beetle populations in plant
beds were also reduced by means
OF soil treatments. Experiments
showed that fuel oil, such as is
used in furnaces and space heat
ers, when sprinkled on plant bed
sites after the required plants have
been pulled, effectively reduced the
populations Of flea beetles devel-
oping in these places.
When the fuel oil was used at
the rates Of 4, 8 and IL gallons
per 100 square yards, the flea bee
ties were reduced 81, "a and SO per
cent respectively. There was no
evidence that the fuel oil caused
any damage to such crops as corn,
snap beans, soybeans, wheat or
cowpeas planted in the treated
areas.
When farmers were unable to get
enough lead arsenate for hornWorm
control, the research men turned
to cryolite. 1t was found that when
cfyolite was used as spray at
the rate Of 6 pounds to so gallons
Of water, the control was satisfac-
tory. When used as a dust, howev-
er, the cryolte was not satisfac-
tory. Some farmers reported that
they obtained better results with
the cryolite spray than with paris
greenfield arsenate.
"A new .flue-cured variety Of to-
bacco, No. 402, developed from a
cross of 400 and jamaica, has
shown much promise in field trials
at the Tobacco Branch Experiment
station at Oxford. "This strain has
also given good results in CONNER
cial trials by growers, producing
high yields of good quality leaf"
says the report.
The more compact growth habit
Of the 4O2 is thought to make this
strain less subject to being blown
by high winds, The 400 and 401 to-
baccos have been enthusiastically
received by tobacco growers, and
in many areas of North Carolina
are displacing the previously es-
tablished varieties.
Last year twenty acres Of wilt
contaminated soil at several To-
cations in Granville, Pitt, and Ora
ven counties were planted in Gran
vile Wilt Resistant tobacco. Selec-
ted hybrids showed less than 5 per
cent wilt at places where standard
varieties were complete loss, say
the research men.
In yield trials at the Tobacco
Branch station, the more produc-
tive selections produced 1,500
pounds of tobacco per acre, valued
at $43 per 100 pounds.
A normal crop of fair quality
leaf was grown on soil contaminat-
ed with Granville wilt by treating
the soil with LOO pounds of ura-
mon per acre and planting the field
to corn for one year. Plots treated
In the fall of 1871 and planted to
corn in 1912, yielded 977 pounds OF
tobacco in 1913 that sold for 1873
cents per pound. Where uramoa
was used at the rates of $50, 500
and 1000 pounds per acre, the per-
centage OF wilt was So, 36 and 13
per cent, respectively.
About 5000 acres of blackshank
resistant strains of tobacco from
the Tobacco Branch station, num-
bers 1, 2, and 4 were grown in
1913. Quality of the leaf was good
even though seasonal conditions
were generally unfavorable.
BIackshank resistance was ade-
quate except when grown under
conditions favoring exceptional di-
sease development. In few cases
as much as 20 per cent loss OF
plants occurred, generally during
the earlier part of the growing
season. This loss was associated
with growth of seedlings on black
shank conf animated beds or
growth on fields where tobacco
was badly diseased the previous
year.
Best results in both the quality
o. the crop and blackshank con-
troll were obtained where the re-
sistant Strains were grown on soil
rotated to other crops for two or
three years.
T. M. T.. A. Conference