The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1913-09-19
Rad Condition. World Wide.

Bad Conditions World Wide.
erman specialist on potato plant dis
me time studying conditions in the
AZ while conditions were bad at
aho Falls they were worse in other
tato growing sections. Conditions
so bad as to call for the. most
rious consideration and unless this
given them the entire industry will
use to exist. The Idaho Falls Reg
ter says:
"Ihis does not apply particularly to
lie Idaho Falls district nor any par
cular district, but is a worldwide
bndition. In act, the potato grow
'2hg industry the world over is threat
ned with practical extinction. Dr.
oilenweber was much pleased with
interest shown by local growers
Z "a grained at the sincere enort be-
made by growers in their effort to
4 limp out disease, and predicted sue
+ ss, saying that If the ordinary care
used which should be used the dis
kse can be kept out for years, and if
he hight IS kept up the potato industry
Df the section WILL never be materially
hurt. The local conditions are ideal
Tor potato production. as good as he
had ever seen. and as Inc expressed it,
Is would be crime for the growers to
6ermit disease to rob them of a prot
liable industry.
An examination was made of weeds
md sage brush growing near potato
8elds and that plant lite was round to
be affected with the rhizoctonia, the
|diseaSe which causes the stem rot in
the potato. With the disease so prev
olent it will take great deal OF care
70 prevent its further spread.
n Another disease of the potato is the
1usarium, which causes the rot of the
potato itself, while the tirst mentioned
disease causes the stem to rot. Other
potato troubles which are not SO pre-
valent are the potato dry rot, bac-
terial disease which causes a mushy
rot and which is very scarce, hardly
any being discovered; also what is
known as the early blight in most Sec
tons, but what is known as a late
blight here, and of which there is very
little.
Care in storage, seed selection, crop
rotation. will take care of the trouble,
the latter. Potatoes should
not be planted on the same ground
more often than once in five years
tor the best results. Proper treatment
OF seed is an important factor in keep
ing down disease.
The Greeley, Colorado district was
until few years ago the premier po-
tato growing district of the whole
al rs
l4,OOO car lots, the annual shipments
have been reduced to less than thou
sand.
DR.. Vollenweber states that the
Greeley district can come back and in
time will be producing as many pota-
toes as it did formerly, but it has cost
the growers of that district thousands
u dollars in losses the past few years
IN account of the diseased condition
e the soil.
" The fight which the Idaho Falls dis
STict potato growers are making will
Heep back the disease and if kept up
Will eventually practically stamp it
mt, although if the matter of seed Sc
lection and crop rotation are neglected
The industry will die out. The potato
diseases are receptive and it will hap
pen that a crop which seems to be
above the average will be produced
when the trouble is at its worst and
will disarm suspicion and the follow
ing year will be followed by a very
greatly reduced crop.
In case the fight on potato disease
10 not kept up, DR.. Vollenweber says
that within five years the growing of
potatoes to this section will be lost
industry"