The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-10-08
BUMPER CROP OF
POTATOES IN j. s.
Saws E. H. Grubb, an Expert
in Potato Business
$50 MILLION BUSHELS
VIII BE Harvested This Year.
Danger of Foreign Tuber
Disease Causes Quarantine
New York World.)

Eugene II. Grub, author Of The
Potato who eats, sleeps, lives and
grows potatoes on a 10O-acre potato
patch at Carbonate, Col, when he is
not studying the potato problem
abroad, talked potatoes for two hours
at the Waldorf Astoria yesterday at
ternoon.
The potato professors chief reason
in waxing eloquent about the tuber
was TO explain the purpose Of the
proclamation issued by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture prohibiting the
i'm p~Ortation Of the common or garden
variety Of white potato from England,
Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Germany,
Austria-Eungarv, Newfoundland n
the islands Of St. Pierre and MiQue-
Ion.
The governmental quarantine OF
potatoes followed the enactment into
law of a measure which Senator Gug-
genheim introduced at the request OF
the potato professor two years e as
n rider TO the Simmons bill, giving
American fruit growers protection
against the invasion Of vegetable dis
eases from foreign lands.
Mr.. Grubbs' rider provided that po-
tatoes from those countries where it
was known that the potato scab or
wart existed should be kept off Amer
lean soil.
Mr.. Grubb made a study Of the po-
tato and its intrmities in Europe for
Secretary OF Agriculture Wilson,, and
his report, being too voluninous for
u government pamphlet, was put into
a book
This country can depend on a po-
tato crop Of 100000, 900 bushels this
year he said. "This will be sufi-
Gent to supply the wants of all with
ont ar-y p, rnrf1fin NIvn Nod n no
tato famine in 1911 and actually rails
ed only 200, 600. O00 bushels Of the
o4S, 600 600 bushels reported by the
government.
I'VE imported 100000 bushels
last year, hut We do not know wheth-
e. any OF them were infected. In
1910 New York alone imported 10
600, 600 bushels. The great potat
shortage of 1911 was due to disease
in the West and lack Of moisture ir
the East.
"The quarantine which the govern
ment has established cannot be &
hardship to Great Britain this veal
because she has no potatoes to expor
and our crop is above the normal
There may be some criticism becauss
it might increase the cost Of living
but the increase, il any, will not com
this year.
The object of the bill was not t.
SNuCS liz uppiN. OGl " plOtctt ou
crops. If the black wart should ge
into this country there is no tellin.
what the result might be. The Amer
lean potato grower knows that he ha
a stable market. He knows that tn
potato produces a bigger return, con
sidering labor and capital required
than any other food crop.
He wants to save the potato from
the ravages Of the dreaded fungus dis
ease that attacks the eye of the pc
tato and gradually enters and de
stroys it. You can't detect 1t in it
incipient stages except by microscope
cal examination and IL cam be cure
by any kind of spraying. The objee
Of the bill is to protect our futur
supply.
If the disease once got into tn
soil we would never be any NOR
free from it than we are Of the coo
ding moth, which has lost for L
much of our apple crop; the DO
weevil, which attacks cotton, or tn
a Jose scale, which came from tn
north of China, and has destroye
entire orchards along the Niagar
river.
The chestnut bark disease. whic
came from the Nile country, will r.
suit In a total loss of the chestn,
tree in America, ana this destructio
is all due to the former lax methot
Of this country in failing to anor
required protection by law.
1T has been estimated that it cos
the American people annually 81
0Q0,000,00 as the result Of the dan
age don by the importation of pes
from foreign countries in the loss
crops.
Il consider the Simmons bill givir
American fruit growers and farme
protection against an invasion of pes
from foreign lands the most impor
ant piece of legislation since the pa
sage OF the Morrill, bill in 1862, givi,
government aid in building up ag1
cultural colleges, or the homeste;
act, allowing citizens to AXE up 1
acres of land in the West. I cal
conceive Of any legislation 50 >alual