Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-06-14
DESTRUCTIVE POTATO DISEASES.
What These Are and How to Prevent Them,
as Told by Professor Galloway.

What These Are and How to Prevent Them,
as Told by Professor Galloway.
Among the many fungous diseases
affecting the Irish potato, three are
especially worthy of consideration, on
account of the regularity of their occur
renee in the United States and the wide
tpread losses they occasion. The diseases
" question are potato blight or downy
mlldew, the macrosporium disease and
potato scab. The blight attacks leaves,
ttems and tubers. The macrosporium,
often mistaken for true blight, affects
the leaves, the stems sometimes, but
the tubers never The scab is too well
known to require description. Professor
| Galloway, in a bulletin recently issued
by the department of agriculture, gives
the following advice:
For blight and the macrosporium dis
ease nothing so effective as the, bor-
deaux mixture has been found This
should be prepared as follows: Pour in
TO DO gallon barrel about 80 gallons
OF clean water, then weigh out pounds
OF bluestone or copper sulphate, and
after tying it in piece of coarse sack
ing suspend the package just beneath
the surface of the water by means of q
string tied TO stick laid across the top
OF the barrel In another Suitable YES
sci, such as tub or half barrel, slack 4
pounds of fresh lime. Slack the lime
carefully by pouring on small quanti-
ties OF water at time, the object being
to obtain smooth, creamy liquid free
from grit. AS soon as the bluestone is
dissolved, which will require probably
less than an hour, pour the lime milk
into the bluestone solution, stirring con-
stantly to effect thorough mixing. Add
enough water to fill the barrel stir
again, and the mixture is then ready
for use.
For the treatment of potato scab
solution of corrosive sublimate has Civ.
en- the best results This should be pre-
pared by dissolving 214 ounces of co1ro-
slve sublimate in about 2 gallons of hot
water, and after an interval of 10 or
hours diluting with 10 gallons of water
For potato blight and the macrospo-
rum disease, apply the bordeaux mix
ture, begirningwhen the plants are about
Elk inches high, and continuing at inter
Net1S VI - VI II bctS >, Until lNS OF SIN dp-
plications in all have been made If the
season is rainy it would probably be
best to make the treatments every 10
days, the object being to keep the plants
at all times covered with the fungicide.
By adding 4 ounces of paris green to
each barrel Of the bordeaux mixture the
treatments will not only prevent the
diseases under consideration, but keep
in check the Colorado potato beetle and
other insects as we'll Before adding the
| paris green to the bordeaux mixture the
! former should be made into a thin paste
by mixing with small quantity of wa
! ter
Potato scab has been very successful
ly prevented by the use of the corrosive
sublimate solution described. The pota-
| toes to be planted are immersed in the
solution for an hour and half, then
Epreadsput TO dry, cut and planted III
the usual manner. A large barrel offers
convenient receptacle for the solution.
The potatoes may be placed in coarse
sack and suspended in the liquid, care
being taken to wash the tubers before
dipping, providing they are very dirty.
The corrosive sublimate is very poison
Gus; therefore it must be used with great
care and kept out of the reach of children
md animals