The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1906-03-01
AGRICULTURE.
Blight Proof Potatoes.

No IMMUNE vARIETIEs--NAIN DEPEND.
ENcE UpoN PRACTICAL METHODS.
The writer ha, been at work on the
probh N Of The potato growers, "how to
secure blight proof potato" for the last
ten years The problem Is yet unsolved,
In 60 far az he 10 concerned, hnd for the
matter In 30 far az the leading growers OF
the world are concerned. Careful inquiry,
backed up by personal investigation and
experimentation with every known variety
OF potatoes, reveals tbs fact that In spite
Of claims made by growers and dealers,
there 10 yet to be produced On absolutely
blight, or rot-proof potato that Is ut to
eat. The writer Is even willing to venture
a stronger statement. That.even the much
Wanted solanum commersonii, from Uru-
quay, ID not to be relied upon ~ utterly
and absolutely resistant to blight and rot
The writer has specimens Of this new
breeding potato from ireland, and few
specimsps raised on his swn grounds which
show rot 10 several forms Of types. The
Lat OF varieties tested In the last ten years
numbers over one thousand, last years
trials alore covering nine hundred and
twenty five named sorts nd several thou
ssrd seedlings. The named varieties In
cludibg every thing grown In America, and
about everything in the Old World isclud-
ing, "Diamond," Discovery" "Northerp
Star" "Eldorsdo," "Up-to-Date," "Sup'
erlative," etc, The imported stock is no,
yet thoroughly acclimsted, but 1t 10 safe
to assume that even though 1t makes bet
ter showing another year, 1t will not come
up TO the claims made by orisinators and
dealers. Every variety grown last year
showed effect OF blight as 10 the season OF
1904
Il matters not whether an early or late
sort be planted; II planting Is done late
enough In the season both early and late
sorts viii succumb to blight during bligh,
season, August and September. Seedlings
are but little, II any, more immune than
older standard varieties. 1t seems TO thu
ritter foolish to expect to develops blight
proof potato from rotten parsntass, e.
from q cro,s between two varieties already
known TO be bright affected and infected.
Az well to exp. c. sound, healthy children
from disessed parents, especially where
disease 10 one hcb is known to be hered'-
tary The only seedlings found to be im-
muts were those which bad teen secured
by cross Of standard sort with CONNER.
soni,, Jsnesii, or other native or Wild 70.
iissy
Immunity frtn blish, one, two, OF even
three yssrs, under the most favorable con.
cilioss does no, mean that the variety ,ds'
scribed a. Immune, ssd 20 grown 10 IN I'm
mupe variety. Cosd,tions may have oesn
such ~ to awe ia nunily In the section
were grown during the period mentioned,
A char &c Of LEGALITY, or another season'
may prove The socslled immune variety to
% very easily ard quickly affected. The
writer has srosn large plumber Of the So
csll.d immune sorts; claims made that for
several years they had bean free from
blight, etc, only TO dad them, Ike the
gtt proof early Ohio, the first 10 . field
OF 600 snrts 90 s.ccumb 10 he raysgss
io1ls sssdirg. svsriised ~. and quoted BY
d.. l.. n J.n.s, Of Vermont Agricultural
college. blight proof ~ss 10 SESSION Of 1904,
with the writer, the nrsi variety 10 sue
cunb. and more than that, % per esst. q
.bs crop vas rst<s wbss dss, and The