Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-22
Subjects of Interest to Agri-
culturiStS Discussed.
The Old Officers Re-elected--A Meeting
in This Experimentation on Potato
Rot and Its Causes and the Handling of
Milk and Cream.

ticularly severe in the northern part o.
the county. About lIockessin the treel
were incased in thick covering of ice
Eyergreens We're bent down under {
glaze of crystal and rows of tiny icicles
fringed fence rails and the ewes Of
houses. The day was perfectly cleai
and the distant woods and the clumps
of trees on the hill tops, glittered. anc
flashed in the sunlight. Spears anc
bayonets of ice covered the fields anG
tinkled as the cold wind blew over, like
the clashing arms of fairy army. I'm
der the brilliant sunlight, the scene was
one of fascination and beauty. After
dinner a number of farmers had gath.
| cred and at 1.30 o'clock the institute was
| called to order.
In the absence of DR.. J. j. Black, the
president, and of First Vice president
James Hossinger, William p. Peach
vice president for Mill Creek hundred
| presided.
The following nominating committee
was appointed to recommend officers
David Heyd, Abram Palmer, Philip T.
Pierson, Edward Woodward and DR.. A.
L. Neale. The committee retired to
consult.
Arnold Naudain, Jr., William Gran
ston and j. III. Walker, were appointed
committee to audit the accounts of
Treasurer Il. d. Talley. The commit
tee reported his accounts correct, and a
balance ON hand of $200.91. The Farm
and Homes bill of $3.50 was allowed.
The committee on nominations re-
ported. The names of DIR. j. j. Black,
Philip 7. Pierson and Edward Wood
4 i'll
for president. A ballot was taken, and
DIR. j. j. Black of New Castle was re-
elected.
On the committees recommendation
the following officers were re-elected:
First Vice-presldent, James Hossinger
president for Brandywine hum
dred, Charles Day of Talleyville; Chris
tiana, Abram Palmer of Mt Cuba; Mill
Creek, William r. Peach of Mermaid;
White Clay Greek, Arnold Naudain of
Stanton; Pencader, Charles Walton of
Iron Hill; New Castle, David Heyd of
State Road; Red Lion, James Gray of
Red Lion; st. Georges, Alexander Corbit
of Odessa; Appoquinimink, r. L. Nau-
dain of Middletown; Blackbird, Morti-
mer Records; Secretary, Delaware Clark
of Glasgow; Treasurer, L. d. Talley of
Beaver Valley.
Executive committee President ]. ].
Black, John G. Higgins, j. H. Walker,
Daniel w. Corbit, DR.. A. T. Neale.
Attention was drawn to the fact that
Wilmington hundred was not repre-
sented among the presidents A
motion was made that vice-president
be elected for Wilmington hundreds.
A member asked what kinds of crops
We're grown in Wilmington hundred
and said that the Institute was for
farmers. This provoked brief discus
sion, at the close of which the motion to
elect representative for Wilmington
hundred was lost.
The committee appointed to arrange
for a meeting in the city of Wilmington,
at which the subject of taxation would
be discussed, reported that such meet
ing would be held on Saturday, January
gath, at 2 O'Clock, p. M, in a place yet
to be selected. Prof. Edmund j. James
of the Univ ersity of Pennsylvania would
deliver an address, speaking on the fol-
lowing question: HAS any state yet
succeeded in relieving landholders of an
unjust burden by equalizing taxation ?"
The speaker had promised to leave
the questions of free trade and protection
alone.
A member stated that the Diamond
State Grange has recently passed reso-
lutions asking that there be question
box at the meetings of the Farmers In
stitute. 1t was decided to have it and
the arrangements of the details of the
same We're left to the secretary.
Professor Frederick d. Chester of the
Delaware College Agricultural Station,
was announced to speak on "Potato
Rot, Its Causes and Personalities"
Professor Chester announced that a part
of his stereopticon views from which he
had intended to use to illustrate his
paper had been broken in bringing it
from Newark, but he managed with it
to add very effectively to the interest
of the paper, notwithstanding the acct
dent.
Prof. Chester stated that the potato
rot was Of American origin, and was
first heard of in 1913. 1t was fungus
growth, one of the great family of
plants. Moisture and sum
mer heat were the favorable conditions
of its growth, and dryness, heat and |
the unfavorable conditions.
Fungi and their habits of growth were
described. The growth Of the potato
rot fungi on the leaf of the potato vine |
was described, and highly magnified
views of TIE same were thrown on the I
screen. The blight of the vines and the
rot of the tuhers was the same. The rot
is developed in the bin from the spores
of the fungi which had been on the
potatoes.
The professor showed how insects
ne ~1sN hn 5tAT,r. i 4
prevent the spores from getting on the
potatoes, known as the Jansen system
p moulding, was ridging the rowsvery
nigh in the field, with the vine 1at one
'lde OF the apex Of the ridge. Instead
u being over the potatoes, thefspores
were at one side and not so apt t6lfind
heir way down to them. Within five
years it has been shown that fungus
pores cannot terminate in water, which
contains the slightest trace of copper.
Last season experiments We're made
IN the potato field of Henry Walker.
lear Mermaid. The variety was the
chilli white. A portion of the affected
ield was sprayed twice with the Bor-
leauX mixture. The result showed that
# all the unsprayed vines, "A per cent
# the potatoes rotted and of the SPRAYED
ines only 9.4 per cent rotted. In other
words the sprayed vines yielded 200
bushels of sound potatoes to the acre
nd the unsprayed 1876 bushels to the
ere. In some cases the Bordeaux
mixture was used in connection with
london purple, which killed the potato
eetle.
One formular for the Bordeaux Mix
ure was 6pounds Of copper sulphate;
pounds of lime, and so gallons of ]