Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-02-01
Director Woods Issues
Circular on Seed Potatoes.
Maine Tubers Strong and Wig
orous for Seed As Any.
Blight Nay Be Entirely Absent One
Year and Return Next.

Orono, Me-, Jan. 31.-(SpeciaD.-
Charles D. Woods, Director of the
Maine Experiment Station at Orono,
has issua1 the following circular:
In a publication of the New York De-
partment OF Agriculture Mr. F. c.
Stewart Of the New York Agricultural
Experiment Station states in part as
fo!loWs:-"Si there was no late
blight anywhere in the State in 1909
and the New York potato crop is abso-
lute!y' free from late blight rot, we are
assurcd--Df a blight free crop in 1910 no
mater what the weather conditions
may b" provided We plant only New
York GROWN seed. The man who
plants Maine grown seed next year is
to be rc 3.arded as menace to the pO-
tato crop of his neighbor's." Mr.. Stew
art is Il bntanist OF experience and one
mas the right to expect that he would
use language carefully and draw con-
customs when he is sure of his prem
Uses. If what Mi Stewart writes We're
true, late blight could be readily
stamped ont from any locality. IN
fortunately he is probably wrong in
his premises. That he is absolutely
wrong in his conclusions is known
by every practical man who has ever
given this question any special obser-
walton.
There is no real evidence to show
that any northern State where late
blight ever occurs in epidemic form is
ever entirely free from the disease. 1t
has been repeatedly observed in Sec
tons where only locally grown seed is
used that fer several years late blight
might be apparently entirely absent,
then followed season of favorable
weather conditions with the blight ard
rot appearing in most destructive pro-
fusion. These conditions have been OBJ
servcd When q man as expert as Mr..
| Stewart could find no blight on the TO-
| liaee of the crop OF the preceding year
the tuberS from which were eXclu-
svely used for seed in the sections I'M
! der consideration. Neither is the re-
verse OF the proposition true. \ sec
ton may suffer from an epidemic of
| blight and rot one season and produce
| a perfectly healthy crop the following
year aud use only home grown seed.
Apparently the disease occurs slightly
| even in years unfavOrable to its de-
velopment but is so incunSpicl!HuS in
| these years IS to be overlooked. On ac-
count of the wonderful ability Of the
| fungus which causes the disease to
propagate itself and spread, the dis
ease soon becomes epidemic when ia
vorab'e weather. conditions appear,
whether they are experienced in Maine
| or in New York
| The plant rathologiSt Of the Maine
Agricultural Experiment Station is
| generally considered to be one of the
best informed men in America on pota-
to diseases. particularly the disease in
| question. Previous to 1907 there had
been apparently no late blight in
| Maine for several years. In the sum-
mer of 1906 he spent considerable time
studying potato diseases in the field
and gave thorough. careful. personal
examination of a very large acreage of
the fields where seed potatoes are
| grown in Maine. This diligent search
failed to reveal even a single typical
leaf OF late blight. Maine does not i'm
port seed. and in 1907 potatoes from
| this, so far as observation could tell
perfectly dean crop were used for
seed. TIE resulting crop of 1907 was
attacked by one Of the worst outbreaks
| of late blight and rot in the history OF
| potato raising in Maine. In the sea-
! son of 1908 seed from these badly in
| tested fields vas used ard the potato
growing section was free from rot and
diligent search failed to disclose any
disc ased leaves. The crop of 1909,
| planted from che clean seed of 1905 was
| again severely affected with blight and
| subsequent rot.
II Mr.. Stewards statements were
warranted and supported by fact
| Maine would gladly have none Of it's
| potatoes sold or used for seed in 1910.
| Since they are not, there is no reason
WHY those who have in the past looked
| to Maine for its strong, vigorous seed
sho aid turn to other less favored local
tiles. So far as known, sound tubers
from fields which have shown late
| blight and rot are no more dangerous
| as carriers of the disease than tuberS
from fields upon which the disease ap-
parently was not present. In those
| parts of the country where weather
| conditions are favorable to the spread
and propagation of late blight thorough
efficient spraying with Bordeaux mix
| ture is the only known preventative of
| the disease. Given that. seed may be
| taken from any locality that has vigor-
| Gus stock. In this connection it may
| be remarked that this discussion with
| regard to late blight in Maine does not
| concern most of the localities farther
| south where the majority of Maine
| seed is shipped. The climatic condi-
TORS there are such that III many Of
| these localities late blight seldom if
ever appears in such amount as to
| cause any damage, regardless of where
the seed was produced.
There is in the hands of the public
printer a circular that explains how to
iis:1,.,