Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1912-03-14
POTATOES & PLANT DISEASE
N. j. State Board of Agriculture Meets
in Special Session at MulIica HiiIH

III
For the especial purpose of study
ing the potato and the best methods
known to science for its best cultiva-
ton, the State Board of Agriculture
met in special session Saturday at
Mullica Hill. The morning meeting
was not as we'll attended as the after
noon gathering when the town hall
was crowded. but in spite of disagree
able weather conditions, rs persons
listened attentively to the addresses
OF President Ferlinghuysen and DR..
Cook in the a. m.
Mr.. Frelinghuysen, of the State
Board of Agriculture, was scheduled
to be the first speaker, but having
missed train connections at Glassboro
Senator Gaunt went via auto to that
town and brought him to the meeting
In the meantime, Secretary Dye, of
the State Board of Agriculture, had
introduced Dr. Mel T. Cook, State
Plant Pathologist, New Brunswick, N.
j., who told of the work the State
Department of Pathology is doing for
the uplift of agriculture and horticul-
ture This talk was different from the
usual type of addresses at Institutes
in this County in that an entirely new
phase of the work being done by the
State for the promotion of the pros
perity of the agriculturist was pre-
sented.
Dr. Cook began by saying that as
the years go by, the plant pests in
crease both in numbers and import
ance. They increase % because we
bring them in from foreign countries.
When this is the case, there is a
chance for the pest, or the disease the
result of the pest, to become either
more or less virulent. Climatic con-
ditions may be more suitable or less
suitable for the increase of the dis
ease, or the plant may be. more easily
attacked. The general trend of pests
is from the east, westward; or from
Europe to America, although Europe
has gotten a few from this country.
They increase (2) because diseases of
our native plants may become more
destructible on our improved plants
and conditions We have been select
ing finer variety of plants all the
time. but in so doing, we have had
but one object in view-the getting of
better product. Sometimes the
better plant" is more susceptible to
disease than the original plant.
The Western horse is good ex-
ample of this : In his native states,
he will live out in the open all winter
and forage for himself, digging in the
snow for food But when he is
brought East and domesticated thor
oughly, if he had no one to care for
him, he would die. So it is with
plants after they have been improved
and worked into finer varieties.
Diseases increase (3) as the coun-
try becomes more thickly settled, for
there are more opportunities for car
rying and spreading the disease. Some
of our native diseases become more
virulent with more crowded cultiva-
ton or the greater proximity OF GER
tain crops, just as it is the case with
the Grown Gall. We sometimes make
conditions more favorable for disease.
Work of the Plant Pathologist.
This work is comparatively new for
the states. In studying plant diseases
it is difficult to get the cooperation
of the farmers People as rule will
not stop to study question until
forced to do it. just as we do not want
a doctor till sickness comes; so 1t is
with the plant pathologist. 1t is more
important to know how to grow well
{ plants than to know how to doctor
them when they are sick.
But a blessing has come to us in
disguise The chestnut disease (bligh)
has caused people to listen to the plant
pathologist-for that disease is an IL
Illustration of what a disease will do in
a few years But the loss from the
chestnut blight is insignificant as
compared with the losses from dis
eases of which we know nothing
500. .000, 900 a year is lost in grain dis
eases.
Fruit is stored away in the cellar
and we expect some Of it to rot. There
is no reason for rotting except that
there is a disease on the apple or what
ever fruit it may be-it is fungus
that feeds on the fruit. In the case
of potatoes, organisms OF rot are car
sried into, cellars and storehouses.
1t is impossible to get rid OF dis
eases All we can do is to reduce the
loss to minimum. The problem of
the future is to feed the pople, one
of the means being to prevent losses
from which we now suffer by reason of
plant diseases The loss from insects
is insignificant as compared with loss
from diseases of plants.
The Wart Disease.
One of the departments of work to
which the pathologist must give his
attention is that of preventing the
spread of disease through the nur-
series; it is not an easy thing to do.
We must also be on the lookout for
diseases from outside. The 5Wart dis
ease is terrible to potatoes. There is
danger of it being introduced into
this country from Europe this year
because potatoes are being imported
in great quantities this year. It is
impossible to inspect them but the far
mers must be on the lookout. If the
disease appears in crop of potatoes,
that crop must be destroyed immed-
lately CA bulletin will be issued on
this subject next week