The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-04-19
SPRAYING FOR IRISH POTATOES.
An Increase of $75 to $50 an Acre Over Unsprayed
Fields is Reported by DR.. Stevens and the New
York Station. Z
Editors Progressive Farmer

probably the Colorado beetle, more commonly
known as the potato bug. Another insect enemy is
the flea beetle.
Less known to the farmer, but fully as destruc-
tive (and often more SOY are blights due to the
attacks of parasitic fungi. One of these known
as the late blight, coming later in the season,
does so much damage that frequently the crop
is an entire, absolute loss. 1t is this disease which
years ago produced the potato famine throughout
the world.
Another blight known as the early blight is
very destructive. Through sad experience the
farmer has learned that to protect his crop it is
absolutely necessary to use something to prevent
the inroads of the Colorado beetle. The method
which has proved most economical is the treat
ment with paris green. Some farmers have like
wise learned that the prevention of the fungous
diseases is equally important, and that a hand
some profit may be realized upon money spent
upon labor and material for spraying the Irish
potato crop to prevent the early and late blight.
This treatment consists of an application of the
bordeaux mixture. Inasmuch as the paris green
must be applied any way, the cost of applying the
mixture may be disregarded; inasmuch as the par
is green may be mixed with the bordeaux mixture,
and both of them put on at one time. The only
cost that need be considered then, is the cost of
the bordeaux mixtures. 1nlS IS trlnlng compared
with the gain which is realized by it's employ
ment. Extensive experiments have been conducted
by the Geneva Experiment Station to determine
the benefit of spraying potatoes year in and year
out. The following quotation is taken from their
report in Bulletion 241:
"Potato Spraying Experiments-The ten-year
potato spraying experiment begun in 1902 has
been continued during 1908, both at Geneva and
RIuorhnod AnoIn cnroU1nn hoe rocu1to6 II q
large increase in yield. At Geneva the increase
in yield due to three sprayings was Lightweight
bushels per acre and that due to five sprayings,
one hundred and eighteen. At Riverhead three
s~prayings increased the yield thirty-nine and one
half bushels per acre and five s~prayings increased
it ffty-six bushels per acre.
"In order to determine The actual profit in
spraying potatoes under ordinary farm condi-
tions, six business experiments were conducted
in cooperation with farmers in different parts
of the State. In each experiment the increase in
yield was determined and an account kept of all
expense. Since late blight was unusually destruc-
tive the past season, spraying proved highly profit
able. On a total area of s~ixty-one and one-sixth
acres sprayed in the 6 experiments there was a to-
tai increase in yield of 3,746 bushels, which is at
the rate of 61.24 bushels per acre. The value of
3,746 bushels of potatoes was, at least, $1,973.
Subtracting from this sum the total expense of
spraying, $296.49, there is a remainder of ST.
570.51, which is the total net profit. This is at
the rate of $25.77 per acre.
"It is estimated that the loss from potato blight
in New York in 1903 was fifty bushels per acre
on the average. Since the acreage of potatoes in
the State is about 800, 900 acres and the average
price of potatoes last fail fifty cents per bushel,
the total loss sustained by New York farmers was
nearly $1O,OOO,O0O. A large part of this loss
might have been nrevented hv snraving-