Scene in one of our seven Wilt Breeding Plots. 
OUR HEAD PLANT BREEDER, GEO. J. WILDS, TELLS OF HIS 
EXPERIENCES WITH NEW BIOLOGIC FORMS OF WILT 
Most breeders of wilt cotton have within the past few 
years received occasional complaints from purchasers about 
their cotton wilting. We know of at least one instance 
where suit was brought. These cases have been investi¬ 
gated and as there was root knot or nematode damage it 
has been attributed to this. This was hard to understand. 
We have plenty of nematode present in all our wilt breed¬ 
ing plots and yet these cottons ususally got through almost 
100% there. We decided that “no cotton would stand up 
under heavy infestation of both wilt and nematode.” 
Our eyes were opened in 1932. In 1931 we had a com¬ 
plaint from Manning, S. C. Clevewilt Strain 1 was wilt¬ 
ing. We investigated. In sections of the field 95% of the 
plants were wilted, yet there was no evidence of nematode. 
We decided it must be a new biologic form of fusarium 
wilt. The worst wilt section of this field was marked out 
and in 1932 a variety test was planted. This test included 
all our wilt strains, Dixie and three Dixie Triumph 
strains. Much to our chagrin all died badly, but some 
plants survived. These were selected and put in plant 
to rows in 1933 at Sumter, where Mr. Paul Bowman 
had had a similar experience with another highly resistant 
variety (not ours). That year many of these plant prog¬ 
enies coming from plants selected at Manning, all in 
turn from highly resistant strains, died at Sumter in 
1934. The best of these selections were tested both at 
Sumter and Hartsville and were increased on still other 
wilt plots. Some of these should stand up at all three 
places. 
In addition, at Sumter in 1933 and 1934 we planted 
two or more sets of our main wilt and new strain test. 
These included ten Cooks, four Dixie Triumphs, Dixie, 
many Clevewilts and new hybrid strains. Differences in 
resistance on the two plots was marked, some died in 
Sumter, and held up in Hartsville, others held up in 
Sumter and died at Hartsville. 
Last year wherever reports were received of highly 
resistant varieties dying, the fields were visited and samples 
of the affected plants and soil were taken. These soil 
samples were mixed thoroughly and put in a greenhouse 
and cultures were made from all the various wilt plant 
collections and the soil thoroughly re-inoculated with the 
fungus thus grown. Then samples of a large number of 
wilt varieties were planted, some plants of all varieties 
died, but three new strains of Clevewilt showed by far 
the highest relative resistance. These were in test at 
Sumter, Hartsville and elsewhere last year, and field 
counts corroborate the greenhouse results. The wilt inocu¬ 
lated soil from the greenhouse, which included wilts from 
many sections of the belt has been transferred to field 
plats. Truck loads of soil have been brought in from 
Manning (a distance of 58 miles) and thoroughly mixed 
with this. In addition, new cultures of fusaria have been 
grown on steamed oats and added to this. All of our wilt 
strains and those of other growers will be grown in these 
plats this year, which should have maximum inoculation 
of all prevalent types. Also, we have arranged two field 
tests at Manning and one at Sumter. On these will like¬ 
wise be planted as many wilt resistant strains as we can 
possibly handle. Strains that survive under these con¬ 
ditions should be truly wilt resistant. 
We are so very anxious to breed desirable wilt re¬ 
sistant cottons that can safely be planted in all sections 
that over one hundred different crosses have been made 
between the numerous wilt cottons and strains to insure 
every possibility of such selections. 
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