The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1876-09-27
The Potato Blight in California

A correspondent thus writes 10 the
Pdci6c RaraL Pres. from Watsonville,
on this subject,
Several weeks since l made some
statements in regard to the condition
aud prospects Of the potato crop in the
Pajaro valley, which. from my own OBJ
servation and the information that has
been furnished ne now believe to 10
incorrect then stated that the po-
tato blight. or rot. which affected some
localities already. did not exist on land
known as sediment land-that Is,
lands formed by and subject to over
How Of the PxjAro river and other
streams traversing this valley.
have taken pains to inform myself
upon this subject, and an convinced
that out Of the 200 To 800 acres
growing in the valley. there is scarcely
any acre which is not affected more of
less by the potato rot. aud from the
present stage of the disease it is esti-
mated that not one halfa crop will be
realized. Ii the disease should not be
stayed by some unknown cause the
yield will fall far short of even this
estimate. The disease Of the potato, as
DIR. Anderson informs me, Is a fungus.
the seeds of which exist in tuber be-
fore planting. and which are developed
In tho new growth by some unknown
condition Of the soil or atmosphere.
and that the disease may and does exist
in the plant in latent form until those
supposed conditions give 1t an active
energy, which results in the destruction
OF The cntire plant and reproduces it
self in . future crop by impregnation
with Its own virus of the growing po.
tato, or, in other words. the seeds OF the
fungus already existing i'll the tuber,
the favorable conditions concurriDg,
they germinate and send forth their
gossamer. thread like growth more or
less rapidly. until the whole plant is
reached. appropriated and its destruc-
tion completed.
There Is something in the condition
Of this " sediment land which delays
this disease but does not escape it.
Continued moisturs has been supposed
10y some To be the reason why potatoes
on sediment land do not show disease
AS soon rs on other land. :hesu lands bs
ing much moister AID the potato con.
tinaing green aud apparently thrifty
after other fields are drv and dead But
now these lands are indicating as much
disease as any other. and justify the
statements have made about the COM
ing crop. | have been greatly as
sisted IN my inquiries by b.
De Hart. Robert Gallagher. = Cox.
MIR. Pierce and others. These gentle
men are intelligent farmers, and some
of them large growers Of the potato,
and take great interest ia the discus-
sion of this subject Mr.. DeHart. who
10 IN old correspondent of yours. hos
pitably entertained me, took me TO his
fields. showed inc the various phases oi
the potato disease In his own crops. and
gave ,ne the results of his own observa.
tions upon the subject. He Is . success
full experimenter III poultry. and can
show 10y facts aud figures the wonder
full pron,s Of this business intclligently
conducted. The bean crop is also, in
this valley. . partial failure. There Is
not probably bali the acreage usually
planted. and wha, is planted vii! not
produce more than halfA crop.
II is an undoub,ed fact that this year
of abundant water. which has been pro-
ducsive in oil other parts of the States
ct such lrsnd aud beneticent results III
all agricultural interests. has been il
this unequalei valley slmos, = failure
The water, so necessary elsewhere. has
been here. where there is Away:
sn abundance of moisture. an excess
which has vitiated every chanrel OF
heaithful production, and will diminish
by q large amount the usual aggregate
OF production Of this part Of the State
Bailsfss