Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-08-04
SWEET POTATO PARASITES.
A New Vegetable Enemy in the Staple
Crop of Eastern Virginia.

A New Vegetable Enemy In the Staple
Crop of Eastern Virginia.
The parasitic fungi which infest potato
vines and other vegetables most important
to man, as furnishing his staple articles of
food, says the Baltimore San, constitute
group of special interest to the micro
scOpist as well as to the farmer. Some Of
these forms of mould or mildew are most
beautiful objects. They present them
selves to the microscopic as forest of
stems and branches of extremely varied
and elegant forms loaded with fruit of
singular delicacy of conformation, all
glistening brightly on a dark ground I'M
der a microscope.
But most farmers are only too we'll ac-
quainted with them as pests, and cOnse-
quently 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 ply
tophthora infestans, he's 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 Virginia, are now threat
ened by similar disease. During short
trip through Northampton county, Va,
many a sDrrOwing farmer had a woeful
story to tell about his lost labor in the
sweet potato fields. Hundreds of acres
had to be plowed under to be replanted in
corn so as not to loose all the money ex-
pended in fertilizers upon the same.
This new disease-new because only
noticed during the last years-is a very
| peculiar one. The young slips, after being
| planted out, usually show very thrifty
| growth, and soon commence to throw out
runners. But before long a few yellow
leaves appear near the base of the plant.
Pulling up the plant the root is entirely
rotten or gone. In some cases tubers had
been formed, but these were also decayed.
Apparently, however, the field is not eff
fected 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, and thus the whole crop is
lost. Close inquiry Indicated that slips oh
tanned 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. Obser-
want farmers have tried to overcome the
trouble by growing their slips in new To-
calities away from the old hot-beds, but
without any improvement, since these
plants also died. The county of North
ampton alone lost already over 100000
this year, and the disease is still spread
ing, occasioning great fears. Farmers
are, of course, all very anxious to find out
remedies, but no remedy can, as yet, be
given, since the disease has first to be
studied. Prof Trelease, to 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 will sue
coed. 1t is intended to send circulars to
the farmers in the infested districts with
the view of getting their replies to GER
tain questions asked in them. PERHAPS
something may be learned in this way.