Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-10-15
new POTATO DISEASE

Inc Colorado Experiment Station
says II has received number of In.
quirtes from potato growers In va.
rious sections of the State in regard
@ the failure Of tn. potato crop In Ger.
tain seasons. These failures seem diff.
hcult 10 explain, since there Is little
blight in evidence, and they occur with
experienced growers az well as with
beginners, and on soil that would
seem to b. In u good state OF fertility,
Ia some instances the vines are said
to have made q iuxuriant growth and
remained green til late in the season.
but when digging time came the tubers
were founG to be much under size. In
other instances & large growth OF
vines wer. found 70 have set an abnor.
mai number of tubers which failed 10
develop.
Al first thought II would seem tina,
some OF the elements necessary to the
growth of the potato plants were lack
ing In the soil, and this may be true In
some instances but IL will not explain
all the failures. Certain fungi or
plant diseases have been found to be
abundant on the potatoes In various
parts OF the State. which may have
something to do Ia producing those
conditions. one of the diseases has
been known IL America AZ q potato
disease less than "a year. though II has
undoubtedly been present In our 20.
tato field for long time. In Europe II
Is considered to be one'Ot the most de.
structive potato diseases. The fungi
does not confine its attack to potatoes
alone, but is found in n great variety
OF plants including alfalfa, clover and
sugar beets.
The disease attacks the potato plant
lust below ground, cutting OFF free
ommunicatiOn between foliage and
tuDers. In extreme cases the plants
may be killed, and mucn of the SOCIAL
ed late blight or early TipeniGg of the
vines may be due to.this disease.
| The fungus lives over winter on the
stems anu tnbsrs of the potato, and
on various other plants. The fungus
adneres TO the tubers In the form OF
dark patches which resemble bits OF
soil and which vary In size from that
of q mere speck to areas a half.inch
Of more In diameter. .he fungus does
not inture tn. potatoes directly. bu,
u detracts from the appearance Of tho
tubers when offered for sale. But the
the important point is that when infect
ed potatoes are planted the fungus IL
planted with lnem. and thus the dis
case IL prOpagated year after year.
The fact that the fungus attacks the
roots Of alfalfa complexities the treat
ment, since alfalfa is commonly useC
In the rotation OF crops. II potatoe.
free from the disease are planted oI
land which has been in alfaiia within
two years, the chances are that the
crop viii he affected. providing there
has been any fungus on the alfalfa
Iplants. The length OF the time thai
the fungus will live in the soil Is NO
known. German authorities state tina
IL will persist for at least three yeas
Neither has the kind OF crop whicl
should be grown on infected land 4
starve the fungus been definitely dc
termined; however, II is not known l.
attack our common cereal crops.
II Is too early TO recommend IA lin
OF treatment TO overcome the ahoy
conditions, since the cause OF the trou
bic Is not positively known, hut potat
orowers who have been troubled 4
this way may find IL profitable to TAX
pertain sanitary precautions, sue
measures consist in planting pOtatoe
on land On which potatoes. beets. alta
ia or clover nave not been grown IA
AZ least three years, and potatoes tina
are free from disease should be use
tor planting. II there Is reason
suspect that the seed potatoes are IL
tecued with fungi they may be treate
with corrosive subiimate or formalII
as IL recommended for potato scab.
With the remembrance o. what Co
IT.Ns II. Ia. h. .aaN .