The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-29
SELECTION Of SEED
STOPS POTATO
DISEASES
Professor Bolley Has Word
of Encouragement For
murphy" Growers.
BOILEYISNfS.

BOLLEY1SMS.
Is it worth while for the farmers of
the Red river valley and North Da-
kota to hin somewhat of the future?
| will answer the question. Positively
yes.
The time will come when the south
ern buyer will not buy Your potatoes
because of the rotting in the bin. The
time will come when it will be too late
to practice crop rotation because of
the wind blowing off the diseased soil.
But let me say further: 1t will pay to
do the following things ven though
YOU deal wholly with new lands:
i. Select the tubers which YOU wish
to plan from healthy vines showing
the form of tuber YOU wish to raise.
:. Store these potatoes in a cold.
dry condition in which they will not
sprout until planting time.
3. Wash these potatoes and then
treat them before planning. using
either the formaldehyde or the coro-
sive sublimate treatment.
4. AT the time of cutting examine
the cut potatoes carefully and where
ever II cut piece shows any brown or
discolored markings throw il out.
.. AS far as potatoes are concern
ed. keep a permanent rotation where
by the same land is not used for po-
tatoes more often than once in four
or five years.
6. Rake up and burn the dc pota-
to vines or else compos them thor
oughly in a proper compost heap.
I. Use the Bordeaux mixture by
the field spraying method so hat all
of the leaves are thoroughly sprayed
three or four times each season. Paris
green al he added to the Bordeaux
mixture for killing the bugs. If these
directions are followed Your increased
crop will he something beyond Your
conception in potato growing.
The time should soon come when
our potato growing societies or those
engaged in handling potatoes will re-
fuse to handle the potatoes of a man
who does not essentially carry out
these instructions. They cannot afford
to do so.
Discussing potato cropping in North
Dakota and particularly in the Rec
river valley. Professor III. L.. Bolley of
the North Dakota Agricultural college
declares in a statement there is no
disease known to potatoes but that can
be prevented by proper seed selec-
ton.
"A number Of years ago. after rec
osnizing that North Dakota and the
northwest generally, because of its
quality of soil md climate. was sure
to become II of the greatest of po-
tato-producing regions" says Prof.
Bolley, II instituted a number of eX-
periments in the cropping and grow
ing of potatoes in relation to disease
and relation to proper selection for
crop production. We published bull
letins on potato scab and indicated the
treatment necessary for prevention of
other potato diseases. We also pub
lished No. 80. in which was reported
! six or seven years trial in selecting
potatoes from the vines. whereby it
was demonstrated to be a very paying
proposition.
Bulletins Ahead of Demands.
"Resardless of disease. it was found
that from a rather pure variety of
Early Ohio potatoes, one would. by
selecting from the vines. produce n
form and shape of tuber desired and
in so doing could very greatly increase
the yield of merchantable potatoes.
These bulletins. as I new see it were
ahead of the demands of h farmers
of this region. In spite of everything
We have done along the line of this
L VI tNdN itloiI' NtIa lew Il lIIt =
ever have paid any attention to seed
selection, seed treatment. crop rotation
or to the prope spraying treatments
for the prevention of potato disease
Indeed. to any of these important fea-
lures of potato cropping which are
necessary in order that n farmer may
continue in the business of potato
growing for a number of years on a
profitable basis.
Lands Become Diseased.
lit is not that potatoes tend to re-
duce the fertility of the land for other
crops, but eventually potato lands be-
come full of diseases characteristic of
the pota crop, scab. bacterial rot. dry
rot, brown rot, late blight, early blight,
etc. and the seed. because Of care
lessness In this regard poor treatment
and selection. carries with ii each
year more and more disease to new
land areas. The old vines with all their
disease are worked into the lane and
finally the most valuable potato lands
in the world are being farmed so that
within a few years they will be yield
ing less than 100 bushels of merchant
able potatoes to the acre. when they
should yield. with my decent cultiva-
ton. anywhere from 200 to 300 BUSH
els to the acre.
II have many times reiterated the
statement that on the average more
than one-third of the entire crop OF
North Dakota is destroyed by potato
diseases easy of prevention. Accord
ing to correspondence and letters
which are coming to me now. 7 am
convinced that there are some people
Who are waking up to this fact. When
Mother Nature rebels, she spanks
hard.
Can Prevent Diseases.
Let me now say by way Of en-
enlargement that there is no known
potato disease which cannot be pre-
vented by proper seed selection. seed
treatment. crop rotation, but that each
this seed selection and seed treat
lnent enhances the quality. Potato
diseases are infectious troubles car
ried by drainage waters. are wind
borne, etc. M when once in the soil
remain there rather persistently. es-
pecially in wet. fertile lands. The
worst n of the rots or blights is
present everywhere this year in a Very
destructive form. 1t starts out With
vines becoming Nellowish and stunted
and the roots rottins off. This is IL
disease which cannot be escaped by
spraying the vines in the sum .
mer time. The farmers who do not
wish to nave any of this on their LAND
next year must this year dig their seed
and select the tubers which they wish
to use for seeding purposes by taking
from the healthy vines. If there
were no disease YOU could increase
crop one-third by following this
line"
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