266 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Progress of the beet-sugar industry. — The work on the beet- 

 sugar industry was conducted as heretofore under the direction of 

 Mr. Charles F. Saylor until his death, which occurred during the 

 past spring. The continuance of the work, possibly in a modified 

 form, is contemplated. 



Special sugar-plant investigations. — The work upon sorghum 

 has been continued along former lines and plans made for its material 

 extension. 



The work upon th* bacteria of maple sap has been continued, the 

 field studies having been completed. It is hoped that the work upon 

 this problem can be closed up during the ensuing year. 



Preliminary work upon the diseases of sugar cane has been begun 

 and plans for its extension are formulated. 



COTTON DISEASES. 



The breeding work with wilt-resistant varieties of cotton has been 

 continued, and more than 2,000 bushels of seed of the Dixie and 

 Dillon varieties were grown last season under our supervision by 

 cooperating farmers and were sold by them for use in wilt-infected 

 territory. The spread of wilt and root-knot has greatly increased. 

 To meet the situation work has been successfully begun in coopera- 

 tion with the Office of Farmers' Cooperative Demonstration Work 

 of this bureau, the South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 and the Georgia State Board of Entomology to increase very ma- 

 terially under competent supervision the production of seed of 

 reliable wilt-resistant varieties of cotton. This work is unifying 

 all the agencies in the southern field for the more effective introduc- 

 tion of wilt-resistant varieties into agriculture and the dissemina- 

 tion of information with regard to the control of cotton and cowpea 

 wilt and root-knot. The extension of this work to other States is 

 planned as soon as funds are available. The work having for its 

 object the production of wilt-reaistant varieties adapted for use in 

 boll-weevil territory is making satisfactory progress and will be 



continued. 



truck-crop diseases. 



Breeding wilt-resistant watermelon. — The watermelon breeding 

 work has been continued. Two hundred pounds of seed of the new 

 Conqueror, a wilt-resistant melon bred by this bureau, are being 

 grown for the coming winter's distribution. Additional work in the 

 development of strains adapted to use in the Pacific States is planned. 



Sweet-potato work. — A new line of work on the diseases of sweet 

 potatoes has been started and is being actively pushed. It is ex- 

 pected that important information relating to the causes of the dis- 

 eases, the life history of the causal organisms, and the proper field 

 treatment for the control of the troubles will result. 



Breeding rust-resistant asparagus. — Asparagus breeding work 

 has been continued during the past year. The first pedigree seed- 

 lings from select rust-resistant plants were grown in 1910 at Concord, 

 Mass. A severe attack of rust on the station grounds showed that 

 some of these pedigree lots were highly resistant to rust and demon- 

 strated the complete success of the breeding methods. One male 



