Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1883-01-11
sCABBY POTATOES.

| There is much diversity OF opinion in re-
gard to the cause OF the scabby, rough and
apparently diseased surface of potatoes.
which is so common. The trouble seems to
be Increasing and becoming more general.
SO that complaints are making from all quar-
ters and there are many inquiries tor the
cause and a remedy for it, as well as many
disputes between persons who think they
have discovered the former. Many persons
are convinced that the trouble is caused by
fungous growth, and is disease. Others
are as firmly convinced it is caused or assist
ed by the use of fresh termenting manure
earth worms are charged by others with the
mischief, and white gruhs, wire-worms, cut
worms, and other insects, bear their share
of the responsibility. For two years past |
have been investigating this subject, endeav-
oring to trace the cause. | am convinced
this is due to attacks by wire-worms, and
nothing else the common. hard-sheled.
round-bodied. numerous-legged julius, which
belongs to the family Myriapoda, and is a
worm and not an insect being referred to.
have grown potatoes the past two years
under various circumstances-in soil with
out manure, or fertiliZed with artificial man.
ures with horse manure, cow manure, both
mixed, and fresh and old manure in new
ground, in swamp muck and with leat-mould:
and lastly, | have kept potatoes in soil in
separate earthern flower pots, with white
grubs, cutWorms and with wire worms. In
every case where the potatoes were damaged
by scab, so-caled, found wire-worms, and
where there were no wre-worms the pota-
toes were smooth and free from injury The
worst potatoes were grown with swamp
muck, leat-monld and old manure. In old
unmanured ground, and where artificial fer
tilzers were used the potatoes were clean
and smooth. In the pot with cut,worms,
aud the dark grey grubs, of what take to
be a species of Aphodi14s or dung beetle, and
very plentiful where fresh and old cow ma
nure was used in the hill, the potatoes re-
mained perfect. Where the white grubs
holes with coarse marks, as if made with
small gouge, were dug deeply into them.
In the pot with the wire worms (12) the
three potatoes were badly scabbed over, and
the worms were found curled up in their
usual way in the shallow holes which they
had made. There was no indication of any
fungus in the potatoes when they were ex-
amined by the microscope. but the surface
was found to be eaten into and discolored.
and the bark or skin of the potato had swol-
len and grown over the edges of the wounds
much in the same way as the bark grows
over the edges OF a wound made upon
tree.
The wire-worm is shining, brown.
smooth, many-jointed creature, which l find
TO be very common when searched tor.
Each joint has two pairs of short, slender,
hair-like legs, and the worm has pair of
short-iointed antenue. with which it feels
its way as it crawls actively along. When
al rest it is curled up spirally. find them
all over my manure-yard, under loose Jumps
and pieces ofrubbish. They are very plenti-
tul in moist spots. where leaves have rotted,
and under pieces of bark, and in leaf-mould
in the woods. This accounts for the preva-