THE CONTROL OF COTTON WILT AND EOOT-KNOT. 9 



The second wait-resistant variety bred was the Dixie. Tliis has 

 the branclied pyranii(hil habit characteristic of the Peterkin group of 

 varieties and is on this account more popular than the Dillon with 

 those who object to a cluster cotton. It has medium-sized boils and 

 jnelds about 35 per cent of lint. More detailed descriptions of these 

 varieties are given in Farmers' Bulletin 333. 



A third promising variety, the Modella, also of the Peterkin type, 

 is being introduced in Georgia by Mr. A. C. Lewis, of the Georgia 

 State Board of Entomology. 



The real problem at present is to bring these results within the reach 

 of every farmer wdio needs them. The wilt exists on thousands of 

 farms and each year is spreading very rapidly. The Goverrmaent can 

 not put into the hands of every farmer a supply of resistant seed, and, 

 even if it could, experience has shown that this would not permanently 

 relieve the situation, for special care is needed to prevent the resis- 

 tant varieties from deteriorating through crossing with nonresistant 

 cotton in neighboring fields, through the lack of careful selection, and 

 through the mixing of seed at the gin. A carefid man can maintain 

 the quality of this cotton for an indefinite period, but when neg- 

 lected it has to be replaced by fresh seed in three or four years. Con- 

 sequently there is likely to be a permanent annual demand for some 

 thousands of bushels of carefully bred wilt-resistant seed in every 

 county. It is furthermore apparent that this should be supplied 

 from wathin the home county, for locally bred seed is adapted to 

 local conditions and gives better results than seed brought from a 

 distance. An excellent opportunity exists for progressive men to 

 engage with profit in the growing of this seed. The methods found 

 most successful in this work require accuracy and care and instruction 

 at the start. There is also need for educational work among the farm- 

 ers that they may understand the methods of wilt control and the 

 need for root-knot rotations in connection with the use of resistant 

 varieties. 



THE ORGANIZATION OF A COOPERATIVE CAMPAIGN. 



The needs mentioned have led to the development of a cooperative 

 arrangement between the three organizations that have been charged 

 with one phase or another of the work, namely, the Office of Cotton 

 and Truck Disease and the Office of Farmers' Cooperative Demon- 

 stration Work in the Bureau of Plant Industry and their respective 

 State agencies, the agricultural experiment station at Clemson 

 College ifor South Carolina, and the State Board of Entomology' at 

 Atlanta for Georgia. 



Since tlie ])lan seeks to utilize all existing agencies and to put the 

 great problem of wilt control on a self-supporting basis, the details 

 31147°— Cir. 92—12 2 



