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Vr nectaquite gloomy.-A. E. T. Lauren*: May 81. A fewshowers this
I;, the first general rain "it*''* April 15. Now so cold it ia doubtful If
•Cttm'i comes up before it Is again too dry. Corn, good stand, small, but
I^Kttlthy.—J. T. O. Montgomery: Corn very small. No ruin In portions of
(V county for six weeks. One-half the cotton Is not yet up.—G. M. T. McL.
<9)11011 doing badly, owing to drought. Corn Is suffering greatly. Gardens
(Honed up. T. F. \V. Pulaski: No rain for live weeks. Now moderate
ijHL.ns, but cold enough to-day for tire. Fall oats, a fair crop; spring outs,
us they are nine times out of ten. S. W. 11. Richmond: No ruin
April 215th, to May 27th, when we had 0.75 Incites ball and rain.
good for rain. Frequent showers. A. W. It. Framers up with
' U and wishing for rain. I>uy hands have been “put to it,” toget work,
ton, very buck ward ; corn, very promising. J. M. Me. N. Screven: in
midst of a disastrous drought of seven weeks. Cotton not more than_
fug and dying. Corn, very bad stand on acoountof laid worms, and
ier late to replant. Gardens literally dried up, and Irish potatoes u total
spring oats almost total failure. E. B. G. Tatnatl: Drought of
Hfee-i v days —J. 8. E. Telfair: No rtiin since May Ist. Light shower on
and another to-day '>)- Very poor stands of cotton. Corn very small
Hi |„ rn ing yellow. Fruit is shriveling and falling. Prospects very
—W F. \V. Twigg*: Six weeks drought. Some cotton yet to
Hint, and much not yet germinated. F. I). W. Washington: Very dry,
I put crops clean and in good condition. J.C. H. Wilkinson: No general
Enin since April 28th, until May -t't b; hence, poor stands of cotton. Corn,
Imall, but In good condition and tine stands. Pears injured by blight.—
SOUTH HAST GKOROI A.
I Bryan: The severest drougth I ever saw in the spring. Prospects for
all crops Is discouraging.—lA \V. VV'. Camden: All crops will suffer from
■ rougtb If we dont get ruin soon.— J. K. Charlton: All crops two weeks
late, caused by six weeks drought. A. D. Clinch: The cold winds, cold
liigbts and drought lias injured ull crops except cane. The drought helped
Eldons.- I*. C. M. No ruin since April 15th, except very light showers.
Ilotton twenty duys lute. Some complaint of grasshoppers in corn. —M. T.
|< uffii : (June 1.) The drought through April and May injured oats twen
ty-live per cent. Corn in good condition. Crops ull late hut look well.
Banners should plant chufas and jieanuts as soon as oats are harvested.
Want in dark nights for a good yield. J. It. P. To day, May 88, is the
■rst i .in since April 14. Crops clean; growth somewhat retarded. J It.
mchols: Grasshoppers have appeared In great numbers and ure eating the
tun and cotton.—J. T. Prfingharn: (May 80.) Very dry since May Ist,
Entil yesterday, when light rains fell. —A. F. it. Worms have beat more
Hi struriive this season than I have ever known, destroying stands ot all
blunts. All crops backward and suffering for rain.—C. A. J. 8. No ruin
lim e Bth of April, and all crops are suffering,—O. E. S. tibga l : Going on
tven weeks drought, which has cut off all crops. Boine high and sandy
Kinds are a total failure. -J. R. F. Liberty: Very little rain since Marcli.
props that are up and liave been well cultivated are growing finely. A
treat deal of seed still in the ground. Your crop report for May is full of
Lstructive matter.—J. A. M. K. Farmers much discouraged on account
■f failure to get stands of cotton. —J. 0. 1). Pierce: Crop stands poor on
account of dry weather. Haiti much needed. -J. H. G. Ware: Very dry
Kow ami for a long time.- J. M. S. li iiijnt : ( Tops are all at least thirty
■a- - late on account of cold and excessively dry weather. W. H. It.
[ A FEW INQUIRIES.
K Is there any remedy for lice on cotton ; if so, what is it ?
G. VV. I)., Webster county.
I Answer. There is no remedy that can be applied by the farmer that
would not cost more than the probable value of the damages inflicted by
lice. Preventive measures are: 1 Not planting too early on land subject
to lice. 2. Liberal fertilizing (part In drill with seed) and good culture.
The lsit sun generally comes to our relief before the cotton is permanently
Injured. *
GRUB WORMS.
What will prevent grub worms from destroying young plants. R. F. C.
Randolph Cos.
Ans. No preventive has been discovered so far as known. The protec
tion and encouragement of insectiverous birds (most*of the songsters) as
Hie natural enemies of nearly all insects, is the only remedy. The grubs
Lake beetles after living in the eartli four or five years. For every beetle
lestroyed you prevent not less than one hundred grubs. A young jay bird,
[t is said, will consume twenty average sized grubs every day, to say noth-
Eig of those consumed by the parents. Save the birds and the birds will
wive your gardens, fields and orchards,
' FERTILIZER FOR COTTON, PINE STRAW AND CANK BAGASSE.
■ 1. What is the best fertilizer for cotton ?
■ 2. Is there any substitute for carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, that we can
piise on a farm?
I 3. Which i- the beat to hold urine, pine straw, or sugar cane bagasse and
Bidder ? What do we obtain from sugar cane bagasse ?
I Ans. i. No particular brand of commercial fertilisers has any permanent
Butin to superior merits. There is no secret In manufacturing fertilizers
Bel generally known to them all. Analysis and actual soil test alone can
■ett rmine which are the best for any particular crop'.
■ 2. Everything we grow on the farm contains carbon, hydrogen and oxy
gen. Water is composed of nothing but hydrogen and oxygen. Carbon is the
principal part of ail plants. When wood or anything vegetable, is burned in
b close vessel the product is charcoal, which is nearly pure carbon. You don't
want to buy any carbon, hydrogen or oxygen for fertilizing purposes. The
farm and the air above it supply an abundance of all three. The elements
that are scarce and that are wortli paying for as fertilizers, are nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash ; and the principal reason that these three are
so much in demand is because the soils are generally scantily supplied with
them.
8. If the cane bagasse he used perfectly dry, it will probably absorb more
urine titan the pine straw. Cane bagasse is rieli in lime, phosphoric acid
and potash, which give it its chief value, and carbon with a little nitrogen,
and otlftr elements of no importance.
RED CLOVER.
Tell us how to plant and manage clover (red with oats this fall; how to
manage for two years. W. D. H. J.
Bibb Cos.
Ans. In the first place red clover will not do well on land devoid of clay.
It is not requisite that the surface sojl tie red or yellow—indicating a large
percentage of clay—but there must be clay near enough to be reached and
turned tothesurface by the plow. A good wheat soil isalsoagood clover soil.
It used to be the universal practice to sow clover only with small grain ;
but it is better, especially at the South, to sow the clover alone. The after
management will be the same, however, whether sown alone or with oats.
I‘repare the land by deep and close plowing, manure and harrow in the oat
seed as if for a heavy crop of oats, applying, say not less than 200 pounds
“1 a high grade ammoniated phosphate per acre. After sowing the oats and
harrowing the surface smooth, then immediately sow the clover seed at the
rate of one and a half gallons per acre. No covering of the seed by harrow
ing, or brushing, will be necessary if sown on freshly harrowed surface.
Rolling would not je objectionable. In Bibb county 1 would prefer to sow
tiie oats and clover about the last of September or early in October. After
the oats are harvested no stock should be permitted on the clover until it
is in full bloom, and it should be but lightly pastured, or not at all, during
the heat of summer. Be careful to see that very hungry stock are
not turned into a clover pasture, especially while the dew is on,
for a longer time than half hour or so. Red clover makes better pas
ture for hogs than for any other stock, and it would perhaps be better to
let no other animals run on it in summer. If intended for hay, of course
no stock will be allowed to run on it after harvesting the oats. The first
year one or two light crops will be available; the chief returns will occur
in the second year, when two crops may be cut for hay, one in May and
“Re in July, according to seasons, and then the clover must be permitted
•o make a crop of seed. It is said, that in the South, after one full crop of
seed has been permitted to mature and fall to the ground, the land will not
require re-seeding afterwards. For hay, clover should not be cut while wet
with dew or rain. Cut for an hour or two in the morning after 9 o’clock,
spreading as thinly as may be ; in two or three hours turn over the clover
lightly with forks or a tedder. Before dew falls in the afternoon let it be
hauled to the barn, or, if not sufficiently cured, put in small cocks four feet
high, to remain until next afternoon, then open and haul to the barn. Do
not try to handle cured clover hay while dry. It is best not to let it cure)
so dry at one exposure to the sun that the leaves will fall off. It is said
AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA—CROP REPORT FOR MONTH OF JUNE. 1889.
that clover hay Is sufficiently cunsl when the ileshy steins will not exude
moisture when twisted betweeu the linger and thumb. Ido not advise
that a crop of clover lie either turned under, or permitted to decay on the
soil, for the pur|s>si> of enriching the land, if the farmer can possibly utilize It
for stock food. It does not pny to manure land with auch valuable stock
food. Feed tiie clover to stock utul apply the manure to the laud.
EXPERIMENT FIELDS.
Lecture Delivered by Prof. George Ville, by Invitation
from the Royal Agricultural Society at Brussels
(Continued from May Crop Report.)
The more extended my studies, and as my relations with the agricultural
world increase, tiie more convinced I am that it is due to the use of Exper
iment Fields, if the ideas with which we are now occupied have become
simple and practical that all tiie agricultural world can receive
the benefits of science. They never lead those who study them Into error;
and their proofs are so plain that they always end in triumphing over the
most systematic opposition from those who doubt their usefulness.
If, gentlemen, you find 1 have become In a measure, an authority on
these subjects, believe me, and multiply experiment fields, which the Ital
ians rightly call “ proof fields; " give every primary school one of its own,
and have ull model farms and experiment stations well suppled with them.
•A few rods of soil are sufficient for primary schools. For litis purpose, I
particularly advise parallel cultures of wheataml Irish potatoes. The fields
of a station should respond to higher claims, and act as instructors to a
large scope of country.
Four parallel cultures of wheat, beets, Irish potatoes and peas, show in a
striking manner the absolute necessity of varying the composition of tiie
fertilizer for each one of these crops, not onljf as to the number of sub
stances used, but the relative proportions of each one. This throws into
bold relief tiie fruitful, yet ill understood idea, even among scientific men,
of tiie dominants —the necessity of varying tiie composition of tiie fertilizer
according to tiie nature of tiie plant. These plants give practical proofs of
this necessity ; and not only this, but they also give valuabe indications of
the resources of the soil in relation to character of fertilizer employed for
the principle cultures of tiie country. An experiment field of this impor
tance not only awakes the curiosity of the people and provokes discussion,
but induces them to make experiments of their own, which are continually
ill comparison witli those of tiie station. There is nothing to be feared
from discussion or comparison of experiments. Is not life an endless dis
cussion—a strife without ceasing ? When a discussion is about the facts of
an experiment, they are constantly produced as witnesses, inducing a con
tinuation of experiment and gradually bringing about the desirable union
of science and practi e. And all this is the fruitful results of experiment
fields.
Have you made every effort in your power for the benefit of your agri
cultural interest? I would have you realize the grand truth that agricul
tural interests are superior to industrial interests; and never forget that
they are the foundation of all other industries.
I having with me the statistics I hoped to bring, to show you
how true is tiie popular belief, that agriculture is the life of the people. In
inviting you, gentlemen, to study for yourselves new truths of the science
of to-day, I call on science to aid me and by use of one of its most recent
conquests (one apparently without any relation to the soil), I hope to dem
onstrate clearly to you the predominance of agricultural over industrial
interests. For many years it has been the general belief that, as natural
phenomena affect our different senses in different ways they must arise
from seperate and independent causes. But a more attentive analysis has
ended by showing, that under this apparent diversity, there are in reality
but two terms as the true source of all these phonomena—matter and
movement; which are never lost, yet always changing. Now it is by help
of tliis abstract idea that I will establish tiie pre-eminance of agricultural
Interests over industrial interests. Here are my proofs:
When two bodies combine there is always production of heat. More
than this, tiie quantity of heat disengaged is constant and invariable in
relation to tiie weight of the bodies put in motion. If you try to undo the
combination and bring the elements back again to tiieir original form, you
must restore to them, tiie exact quantity of heat they threw off. On the
other side, heat having power to produce movement, and the movement
power in its turn to change itself into mechanial effort, the result is, that
a knowledge of tiie quantity of heat emitted or absorbed serves as an exact
measure of the amount of effort the work of combination or of decomposi
tion produced. I burn this blade of wheat. There is an emission of heat.
Why? Because the wheat had absorbed and rendered latent in its substance
the heat and light of the sun, without which absorption it would have
been powerless to reduce the earbouie acid of the air and appropriate its
carbon. Vegetation is in fact the chosen instrument for the absorption and
storing up of the light and heat of tiie sun.
This first point admitted, what mechanical effort does nature put forth
in annually utilizing an acre of soil? The equivalent of 15 days steam
power. But how much latent power estimated in steam power, does the
crop grown on an acre contain, pf which the sun had paid all the costs?
The equivalent of a 3,000 steam power. What becomes of the 3,000 steam
power? It passes into a state of heat and movement, and nnder this new
form, serves to nourish our organs so that we may have the use of our
functions and exercise our faculties. Another part serves for the production
of animal food, for animals could not live without the heat they receive
from their food. Even the decay of vegetable matter assists in the har
monious exchange established between our planet and the rest of the
universe by throwing oft'in decomposition, heat which modifies tiie losses
the eartli sustains in this respect.
Now if a capital invested in a 3,000 steam power is sufficient to utilize an
acre of soil, tell me, what industry, with such a small capital can give such
results? This result cannot be denied. The conclusion is forced. No
other interest can compare with agricultural interest.
Mankind lias in the past commanded dead forces. We are now learning
to command life by better regulating and governing the influences which
affect the conditions of individuals and even of nations. So soon as it is
demonstrated that you can regulate at will, the fertility of the soil and the
products springing from it, the marketable amount of food product will be
increased to unexpected quantities. If you double the harvests of a coun
try what a change comes to the life of its people ! They live better, public
faith is good and the moral standard is raised. Agriculture then regains her
supremacy.
The greatest service man can render his fellow beings is to contribute
to the general progress. Agriculture affects all our interests, and is in its
turn affected by the political conditions of a country. Economic legisla
tion, taxes, duties, costs and facilities of transportation, etc., are all condi
tions influencing agriculture for good or for evil. But above all these con
ditions is one taking the lead of all others, and that is, the act of creation
involved in the growth of a plant. What is to be gained by facility of
transportation if you are ignorant of the conditions assuring abundance of
harvest and cheapness of production ?
There are no two methocs of accomplishing this, there is but one. And
that is to spread broadcast through the country, practical and correct ideas
upon tiie nature of tiie agents which vegetation sets at work and cause the
people to clearly understand the truth so poorly understood, that it takes
good fertilizers to make profitable crops. Nothing can rival Experiment
Fields in accomplishing tliis object. An Experiment Field is the most
eloquent of professors—without passion or prejudice. It is the disin
terested organ of nature in its fullest activity—teaching practical rules for
regulating the nature and amount of harvest.
In urging you to multiply these modest creations, I call upon you to
consult them, whether on a large or small scale; make them a guide to tiie
people. I believe I thus place at your service the most fruitful idea science
has conceived for forty years, and thus continue in this way, the main
object of my life.
. WHO CAN BEAT IT ?
On the 22nd of May Mr. James Battle had a fine field of oats harvested—
the best I have seen, the heeds being long and well filled. The field on
which the crop was grown was seeded to oats five years ago. After cutting
the oats each year he planted it in peas and gives them two plowlngs.
After the peas are gathered ho turns his stock on the field until January or
February. The volunteer oats have made good crops four successive years
without sowing a seed. He lives only a mile from me, and I have seen the
field in all its stages. He says he will make twenty to twenty-five bushels
per acre. James A. Shivers.
Warrenton, Ga.
TALL OAT GRASS.
The following letter and the reply of tiie Commissioner Is Interesting a*
Illustrating how the merits of a plant may force themselves on the observa
tion of furmers;
Hon. J. T. Henderson:
I enclose u head of grass which I would he pleased to lenrtl if it is known
to the Department of Agriculture, as it astonishes nil who sec It. This
gross was brought to this country In about tiie year 18.71, by a ton rial who
found It growing wild on an island in tiie l’acific Ocean. It is perennial
and evergreen; can lie grazed the year'round; forms a strong turf; tile
roots run down to a depth of two feet; It resists the severest droughts, and
remains green during the coldest weather; the stem* grow to the height
of five feet in moderate upland soils; when the seed are plowed under as
wheat and oats a crop of seed will tie produced tiie following year; it lias
heavy foliage and is much relished by stock, etc.
If desired I will send a bunch for examination, and will gladly answer
ail inquiries. I. I). Hudgins.
Sugar Hill, Hull Cos., Ga.
Answer: The grass is whut Is commonly known as tall oat grass, the
botanical name of it being Arrhenatherum accnaccum. It is widely distri
buted over tiie world, having lie mi cultivated for centuries in Kurope, and
was brought to this country, in New England, aiiout one hundred years
Hgo, The history you give of tlmt deocrilicd by you is doubtless correct,
but its first introduction into tliis country, and even into the South, dates
far hack of 1850. It is one of our tiest perennial grasses. Your description
of its habits, etc., is very accurate, agreeing with that in tiie books us well
us with my own observation. You can buy tiie seed of any of our seedmen
at about $2.25 |>er bushel of eleven pounds. It is sometimes called “ever
green grass,” because it continues green even after the seeds have ripened
and fallen out. Seed may be sown in March or April and the grass mown
tiie same season. It is a valuable grass and lam glad you have discovered
its value without knowing what it is. You and your neighbors need not
hesitate to cultivate the tall oat grass.
PEAR BLIGHT.
BY JOHN l\ CAMPBELL, Pll. I)., PROFESSOR OF IHOISMiY IX THE
UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA.
If it is possible to draw any general conclusions from the statements of a
small number of prominent fruitgrowers, it may lie said that up to tiie
present time, at least, pear blight has not been so prevalent ami the losses
due to it not so great as in former seasons.
Mr. J. I). Husted, Vineyard, (fa., writes: “ I have about 400 trees in an
orchard three to five years old, with no appearance of the disease as yet.”
Mr. W. W. Thompson, Smithville, Ga., writes: “I liave some four or
five thousand of the Le Conte and Keiffer [icar tree, and about two thous
and in bearing tliis season ; up to tliis time no blight on any of them.”
Mr. T. E. Blackshear, Thomasville, (fa., writes: “ This spring the trees
were three weeks late in bearing, but they put out tiie largest bloom ever
known, and seemed perfectly healthy until tiie fruit set when tiie spurs
having tiie fruit began to turn black and die. It began in my orchard on
one tree and spread all over that tree and then all over the orchard, and it
is still spreading, but not so fast as it was two or three weeks ago. If tliis
goes no farther, and I am inclined to believe tiie worst is over, I shall liave
a pretty fair crop of fruit.”
Mr. G. H. Miller, Rome, Ga., writes: “We liave had no blight oil our
place since we came to Home.”
Hon. Felix Corput, Cave Spring, Ga., writes: “Every Bartlett tree on
my place lias been more or less affected. Have lost about two out of five.
Tiie Duchess, Winter Nclis, Lawrence, and Flemish Beauty, right along
side of them, have shown no sign of blight. Of the Le Contes, liave had
blight on three out of twenty-live trees; none of them lias died."
Mr. L. L. Varnedoe, Thomasville, (fa., writes: “ The loss is considerable
in some orchards. It commences here and there, and progresses more or
less over the orchard on bearing trees. It is a hundred times worse on tiie
Bartlett and Howell and similar pears than it is on the Le Conte and Keif
fer. lam not discouraged in pear growing however.
From tiie foregoing and other communications of a similar nature, it
seems evkient that the loss for the present year is not very extensive,
although percentages cannot well Ik: given. It can he very positively stated,
however, that the almost absolute certainty of its appearance, even though
in a mild form, lias made pear culture much less general than otherwise it
would be.
The phenomena of pear blight are only too familiar to fruit growers.
Isolated leaves may turn black while the branch remains healthy, hut
more commonly the leaves near tiie tip of tiie branch blight first, and then
it runs down toward the main trunk, the leaves turning black and the hark
shrivelling. A thick fluid exude*from the parts affected. If not cheeked
this may extend over the whole tree, the usual result being death.
The two questions of absorbing interest to fruit growers are: Ist. What
is the cause of the disease; 2d. How can it be cured ?
A survey of the literature shows that various theories have been and are
still held as to tiie cause of pear blight. It began to attract attention dur
ing the last century, and much lias since been written about it. Its earliest
appearauee, so far as known to me was in New York State in 1794. It was
then described as tiie work of an insect borer. It 1843 it was stated that it
is due to an insect, but also to the overpowering rays of the sun, and to
surfeit due to over manuring or too much pruning. Many still believe
these to be causes of the disease, while others regard them only as favor
ing conditions. Blight is specially apt to develop when an early springris
followed by a sudden cold, and this fact lias led many to believe that tiie
real cause is tiie freezing or stagnation of sap. This is the view most com
monly held by Georgia fruit growers, and it seems to lie supported by
many facts.
Wliile many of the popular theories contain valuable truths, it cannot lie
said that any one of them is in any sense an explanation of the rationale
of the disease. The insect theory is not supported by the facts. The idea
that sap is frozen cannot be sustained, because pear trees blight where there
is no frost. In fact the view that any direct chemical changes in sap cause
tiie disease must be given up, because it furnishes no explanation of tiie
fact that it begins at tiie tips of the young brandies and progresses so slowly
toward the main trunk.
It was not until July, 1880, that the solution of the problem was under
taken with modern methods aud appliances, and in accordance with mod
ern scientific ideas. At tliis time Prof. T. J. Burrill of Übana, 111., began a
careful study, inoculating the bark of healthy trees with pieces of diseased
bark. In tliis way he succeeded in producing the disease in a large num
ber of healthy trees.
Making a microscopic examination of the diseased portions of the tree
and the gummy exudation, he found constantly present large numbers of
minute organisms which he regarded us the cause of the disease. These
belong to tiie class of Bacteria and resemble In many respects the germs
which cause various diseuses of animals.
Prof. Burrill’s work was not very convincing. Many points were left
open, and many objections were not answered, lie did not gain many
converts, and liis work was not generally accepted, but to him must be
given tiie credit for having taken tiie first steps leading to the truesolutiou
of the problem.
Prof. J. C. Arthur in the reports of the New York Experiment Station
lias published several articles which confirm tiie views of Prof. Burrill.
His work was done with great care and accuracy, and carries conviction
with it. The full details of his work cannot be given in the space which
this article must occupy, but tiie points which he established are briefly
as follows:
Ist. He filtered tiie exudation through a fine filter and then could not
produce blight by Inoculating healthy trees. The unflltered exudation
alwavs produced it. The only thing which could have been kept back by
tiie filter is the germs, and this gives almost positive proof that, tiie dis
ease is not due to a soluble poison but to a germ. To be still more certain
he cultivated the germs in various culture media and found that the sixtli
culture would produce the disease.
2d. This germ somewhat resembles the ordinary Bacterium Torino, but
♦he two are not identical, for Bacterium Termo injected into the trees pro
duces no blight. There is then a siieeific germ to which blight is due.
3d, Prof. Burrill did not show how the bacteria entered the tree, hut
Prof. Arthur succeeded in showing that it was at the tips of tiie young
branches, on the delicate surface tissues of expanding buds. After entering
the tree there is a lutent period of about month before the disease becomes
conspicuous.
Prof. Arthur’s work is generally accepted by scientific men. It is thor
oughly reasonable and in accord witli what we know of tiie action of germs
in producing disease, so that tiie problem must be regarded as practically
solved.
As to remedies it must be admitted that but little can be said. Certain
conditions should be observed. Especially should tiie trees not be forced
by high cultivation. Many remedies have been tried. Sulphur, lime, car
bolic acid and other things have been recommended, but they arc of no
value, because they cannot reach the seat of the trouble. What the future
may show as to tiie possibility of preventive inoculation, it is impassible to
say. So far as I know, tliis has not yet been attempted. Our present
knowledge justifies but one method of treatment—the prompt removal of
every blighted limb a considerable distance below the diseased point. Split
ting the bark some distance farther is also recommended. The removed
part should be carefully burned, since experiments show that tho germs
may remain alive a long time, and thus cause the disease in a following
season.
Athens, Ga., May 31, 1889.