Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-08-01
lancaster .3ntelligenrcr.
SWEET POTATO PARASITES.
a Rev vegetable Enemy tn the staple Or
Os Eastern virginis.

a rev vegetable Enemy To the staple Crov
os ssstern vrgipis.
From the Baltimore sun.
Tho parasitic fungi which infest potato
vines aud other vegetables most important
70 man, as furnishing his staple article,
Of food, constitute group Of special In
forest 10 the miorosoopist as we'll as TO The
farmer. Some of these forms Of mould
or mildew arc most beautiful objects.
They present themselves to the micro
scopist As forest of stems and branches
Of extremely varied and elegant forms
loaded with fruit Of singular delicacy
OF conformation, all elistening brightly on
Q dark ground under the microscope.
But most farmers are only too well
acquainted with thcm as pests and conse
queptjy do not admire either their peculiar
form or their elegant structure. They
know from sad experience the mildew.
crust, smut, dust brand, bunt and blights.
The potato disease, produced by phytoph
thora infestans, has ever since 1S47 in
certain regions been the greatest enemy to
the Irish potato. Sweet potatoes, the
most important staple OF the Eastern
Shore OF Maryland and Virgins, are now
threatened by similar disease. During
short trip through Northampton county,
Va, many sorrowing farmer had woe
full story to tell about his lost labor In the
sweet potato fields. Hundreds OF acres
had to be plowed under to be replsnted in
corn 80 AZ not to lose all the money ex
pended in fertilizers upon tho same.
This new disease--new because only
noticed during the last years. q very
peculiar one. The young slips, after being
planted out, usually show . very thrifty
growth, aud soon commence to throw out
runners, But before long q few yellow
leaves appear near the base OF the plant.
Pulling up the plant the root 10 entirely
rotten or gone. In some cases tubers had
been formed, but these were also decsyed.
Apparently, however, the field Is not
effected by any disease since the runners,
having thrown out roots for themselves,
are green and growing they do not, how
ever, form any tubers Of sufficient size TO
be marketable, aud thus the whole cropi
lost. Close inquiry indicated that slips
obtained from northern regions were more
prone to become diseased some slips
from South Carolina did not, up to this
time, show any indications OF disease.
Observant farm1rs have tried to overcome
the trouble by growing their slips in new
localities away from the old hot beds, but
without any improvement, since these
plants also died. The county of North.
ampton alone loss already over sl00 900.
this year, and the disease is still spreading,
oocasioning great fears. Farmers are, OF
course, all very anxious TO find out
remedies, but no remedy can, as yet, be
given, since tho disease has first TO be
studied. Prof. Trelease, ~ whom the
writer has sent specimens, and whose
speciality are such fungoid diseases, has
promised to pay particular attention to
this plant, and it is to be hoped viii sue
oeed. 1t is intended to send .circulars to
the farmers in the infested districts with
the view of getting their replica TO certain
questions asked in them perhaps some
thing may be learned in this way.