Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-05-10

EH[ki .Aqs .,.
t.Sa3fis".s fizztE,EPtHG
:zsSEsEf1'e1&P1GAEE,PEN
DESTRUCTIVE POTATO DISEASES.
What These Are and How 90 Prevent Them
IA Told by Professor Galloway.

Among the many tuugous 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
spread losses they occasion. The diseases
in question are potato blight on doWny
mildew, the macr0sporium disease and
potato scab The iyht attacks leaves,
stems and tubers. The macrOsporium,
often mistaken for true blight, affects
the leaves, the stems sometimes, but
the tub,rs never The scab Is too well
known 70 require description. Professor
Galloway, in "A bulletin recently issued
10y the department OF agriculture, gives
the following advice:
For blight and the macrosporium dis
ease nothing SO effective as the bor-
doauX mixture has been found This
should bee prepared as follows: Pour in
TO a - gallon barrel about 30 gallons
of clean water, then weigh ont Is pounds
of blucStone or copper >ulphate, and
after tying il in a piece Of coarse sack
ing suspend the package just beneath
the surface Of the water Ivy means Of a
string tied 10 stick laid across the top
of the barrel I'm another suitable YES
sci, such as a tub or half barrel, slack
pounds OF fresh lime slack the lime
carefully by pouring on small quaint
ties Of water at time, the object being
10 obtain a smooth creamy liquid free
from grit. As soon a. the hluestone Is
dissolved which will require probably
less than an hour, pour the lime milk
into the blucstOne solution, stirring con-
stantly To effect thorough mixing Add
enough water 10 fill the barrel, stir
again, and the mixture Is then ready
for use.
For the treatment Of potato scab a
solution of corrosive sublimate has CIV
en- the best results. This should be pre-
pared by disSolying ounces Of cOrro-
sive sublimate in about , gallons of hot
water, and after an interval Of 10 or ?
hours diluting with B gallons of water.
For potato blight and the macrospo-
rum disease, apply the bordeaux mix
ture, beginning when the plants are about
six inches high, and continuing at inter
walls Of , or II days, until five or six APP
plicatious in all have been made. If the
season is rainy, it would probably be
best 20 make the treatments every 10
days the object being - keep the plants
at all times covered with the fungicide.
BY adding / ounces of paris green to
each barrel IF 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 10 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 70 be planted are immersed III the
solution for an hour and a half, then
spread out TO dry, cut and planted in
tho usual manner. A large barrel offers
a convenient receptacle for the solution.
The potatoes may be placed in coarse
sack and suspended III the liquid, care
being taken 20 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
and animals.