400 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



time througrh the entire year, and from May to October the time 

 of two persons. The issue of bulletins to partly meet this ever- 

 increasing demand is contemplated. 



Plans for future work. — It is planned to continue work along 

 the present lines during the next fiscal year without change of ap- 

 propriation, policy, or personnel. 



COTTON AND TRUCK DISEASE AND SUGAR-PLANT 

 INVESTIGATIONS. 



The investigations of cotton and truck-crop diseases and of sugar 

 plants have been continued during the year in charge of Mr. W. A. 

 Orton. 



Cotton diseases. — The work relating to cotton has been centered 

 en the control of cotton wilt and root-knot. The problems are (1) to 

 bring into general use the resistant strains already developed in a 

 way that will insure their perpetuation, (2) to demonstrate the best 

 methods for the control of root-knot through rotations with immune 

 crops, and (3) to develop new wilt-resistant varieties suitable for 

 boll-weevil conditions. The first two objects have been successfully 

 attained by cooperation with the Oflice of Farmers' Cooperative 

 Demonstration Work in South Carolina by the help of the State 

 experiment station, and in Georgia by the help of the State board 

 of entomology. This work will be continued during the present 

 year with a view to its extension to other States. Wilt-resistant 

 strains for boll-wevil conditions are being bred at Florence, S. C, 

 and Headlands, Ala. The promising strains developed ought to be 

 widely tested. 



Truck-crop diseases. — Potato diseases have been given major 

 attention. These problems were studied in Germany, and a spe- 

 cialist has undertaken a fundamental study of the fungous genus 

 Fusarium, to which wilt and leaf-curl are generally attributed. The 

 critical points of relationship involved are to be cleared up, so that 

 the work can be taken into the field and extensive experiments made 

 with control measures. Such work in the West is being arranged 

 for this season under a new special appropriation. The scope of 

 this work should be extended. Facilities now lacking for the hand- 

 ling of its problems in a way that will bring the promptest relief 

 to the industry should be supplied in California and in the central 

 and eastern States. 



Spraying demonstrations. — The perfecting of field methods for 

 the control of truck-crop diseases, and the demonstration of these 

 methods in communities where the culture of some crops is rendered 

 unprofitable by outbreaks of disease, has been shown by experience 

 to be one of tne greatest aids the department can render the truck 

 growers. The leaf -blight of cucumbers and cantaloupes was success- 

 fully controlled in Florida. The same work is being repeated in New 

 Jersey. The spraying of celery has been begun in New York in con- 

 nection with studies of the problem of keeping the crop in winter 

 storage. Celery spraying in southern Florida, potato spraying in 

 northern Florida, and the repetition of the cantaloupe demonstration 

 are planned. This work is to be extended to other communities and 

 crops as rapidly as men can be trained. 



