The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-08-31
Potato Rot and Paris Green.

1t would seem that farmers generally
are not sufficiently impressed ty the
great importance of comparatively re-
cent discoveries regarding the cause
and means of prevention of potato rot.
Possibly majority of them are incred-
ulous. If they are, it is not TO be won
dered at. For more than fifty years
farmers have been offered theory alter
theory as to the cause, and remedy af-
ter remedy for the cure of potato rot,
while the cause remained mystery,
and their potatoes kept on rotting just
the same. AT last most farmers tacitly
abandoned the hope that science would
ever be able to tell them what makes
the potatoes rot, and how to save them.
But the scientists did not despair.
They kept on studying and investigat-
ing until they reached the conclusion
that late blight is the cause, and rot
the result. And farmers have no rea-
son TO doubt the accuracy of this final
conclusion.
Late blight is a fungous disease that
first attacks the foliage of the potato,
and, if conditions are favorable to its
development, is communicated through
the stem and the surrounding soil to
the tubers, which straightway begin to
decay. A tell-tale odor betrays the
presence of the fungus, which some
times spreads so rapidly that whole
fields are blighted and ruined within
forty.eight hours. Close, damp, cloudy
weather invites the disease, which may
appear at any time during August and
September, if such days occur. Late
blight being recognized as the inducing
cause Of potato rot, 1t is important that
farmers should know that spraying the
foliage of potatoes in time and thor
oughly with Bordeaux mixture will
prevent the blight. 1t is an easy
means of prevention and one that is
available to every farmer.
What misfortune it has been 10
this country that the Colorado potato
beetle was ever permitted to leave its
native habitation in the mountains and
its natural food, to fasten itself upon the
potato as its special prey! Proper &C
ton at the right time and place might
have prevented its being disseminated to
every part of the land, and have avoid
ed the loss of millions of dollars TO
farmers. But the beetle has invaded
and taken possession, and all the power
of army and navy cannot eXpel it.
Whether the thirty different insect enc
mics said to be combined against it will
ever be able to conquer it, remains to
be seen.
The beetles destructive work is Gala
mitous, and the fact that poison is be-
lieved to be the only effective means
of fighting the pest, is a companion mis-
| fortune. 1t is true that some practice
Manipulating, and say that it is effec-
ual and requires little more time and
labor than spraying or busting the
plants with poison. This may be
true; yet it is impossible to convince
the majority, and the use of poison
is we'll nigh universal. Moth
ing remains but to eXhort farmers
to be careful-far more careful than
most of them are-with such deadly
agent.
Half mile from where | write lives
man who few months ago was
strong and able to work on neighbours
farm. Now he is deprived of his
strength by mysterious disease that
the doctors do not seem to understand.
He is emaciated, can scarcely speak
above whisper, and medicines do him
no good. He was compelled to sud
denly leave his labor in the fields, and
has not done days work since.
Probably he never will. Whether or
not he inhaled Paris green while dust
ing potatoes, / am not positive, but it
is probable that he did.
A mile farther eastward farmer APP
piled Paris green to his potatoes.
There was a scratch upon one of bis
hands, very slight, but it was enough.
He died of blood-poisoning, in spite of