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FIG CULTURE 



die. The fungus is well understood by those farm- 

 ers with whom the Department of Agriculture has 

 been working to eradicate it from cotton fields dur- 

 ing the past fifteen years. Comparatively few 

 plants are immune ; its ravages are seen among the 

 ornamental trees and shrubs of the Capitol grounds 

 at Austin, and the park at College, as well as at 

 many other places, even primeval forests being in 

 danger, as virgin soils contain the noxious germs. 

 In general farming it is subdued by growing sor- 

 ghum, or some other resistant crop in a rotation, as 

 most of the germs are starved when provided with 

 no acceptable food. The Department of Agricul- 

 ture has not become committed to any particular 

 treatment, though giving valuable suggestions, but 

 several liquids evaporate beneath the surface of 

 the soil, producing a gas deadly to animal and vege- 

 table life, and these can be used satisfactorily, hold- 

 ing the disease in check. There are a number of 

 compounds of carbon and hydrogen, any one of 

 which may be introduced to an affected soil by bury- 

 ing saturated substances, dripping liquid in front 

 of a falling plow furrow, pouring into a fissue made 

 with a spade, or by emptying a measured quantity 

 at the bottom of a hole made with a hollow crowbar, 

 and if applied with sufficient care to avoid direct 

 contact with roots the permeating gas destroys un- 

 derground insects and fungus life for a consid- 

 erable distance around. If too much is used close 



