Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1913-08-23

ment is known which will check or |
cure these stem r0ts, because The al |
fected portions are under ground.
1t is advised that at this time the
potato grower 90 carefully over his
fields and dig out all vines seen to
be affected with this disease. They
should then be carried Off and burned.
II the farmer Is unable to do this
with his entire crop, he should
rogue that portion Of 1t intended
for seed purposes and this should be
his choicest plat.
Many striking object lessons were
presented In fields visited during the
earlier part of the present month on
the value of care In seed selection.
also on the bad effect of planting
potatoes successfully In the same
fields.
Occasion was taken In spring to
make analyses Of a number Of lots
OF seed potatoes from various sources
to ascertain to what extent they were
injured. The following figures are
impressive especially when it Is
borne in mind that they refer to
seed potatoes carefully selected by
extensive growers. It is not merely
the run Of cellar that is represented:
Powdery dry rot-Russet, 81 per
cent; Burbank So per cent Rural,
.arge, rs per cent; Rural. mixed, IL
per cent.
Rhizoctonia scab-Russet, 100 per
cent; Burbank, IS per cent; Rural,
arge, IS per cent; Rural mixed, 81
per cent.
Common scab--Burbank, Is per
vent; Rural, large, per cent; Rural
mixed, 8 per cent.
Sorter injury--Russet, SO per cent;
Burbank, SO per cent; Rural, large,
20 per cent; Rural mixed 76 per cent.
,ent; Burbank, SO per cent Rural,
large, 10 per cent.
Fork injury-Burbank, IL per cent.
1t Ia true that many of these showed
out a slight degree Of injury or dis
ease, but 1t was present.
The relation Of these figures to pre-
sent conditions 10 very significant.
As already mentioned, 1t is known
that the powdery dry rot fungus mos {.
y gains entrance through cuts and
bruises in the skin OF stored potatoes
Here we have ample evidence of the
presence of the disease and of In
juries to the skin of the potatoes In
great abundance. There in an init
nate relation between the two 1t is
a pity the writer may not reproduce
n this paper photographs showing
to what extent disease has gained
entrance at the site Of wounds; such |
pictures would be more impressive |
than words.
Different portions OF large field |
owned by a well-known potato grow
er had been subjected to varying
rotations and planted, respectively,
With selected and unselected seed
potatoes. These will be designated
as plats /, and 8.
Plat /: Three years potatoes,
year in oats, then potatoes in 1913.
Seed not selected. Owner has noted
Rhizoctonia stem rot in previous
seasons to some extent. BY actual
count 20 per cent of the vines In
this plat we're visibly affected with
stem rot. An examination OF the
roots OF apparently healthy vines
showed many Of these also to be
more or less infected. 1t would be
conservative to estimate that 40 to
80 per cent of the vines had been
attacked by Ahizoctonia. There. were
is per cent of missing hills, mostly
due to planting diseased cuttings.
Plat q: Ten years in alfalfa, i
year in grain, then potatoes In 1913.
In this plat per cent Of the vines
we're visibly affected with stem rot:
about 10 to Is fef cent OF the hills
we're missing on account Of diseased
cuttings.
Plat g.: Same kind Of land and
rotation as plat No. l, but the seed
was taken from care ,liy selected
pottoaes each Weighing rum \ to
10 ounces, and cut into four pieces.
Only 3 per cent Of these vines were
visibly affected, the gils were few
larger and more yi,soMps than the
others.
In the field Of auothcr s"ower
whose seed had not Teen selected
or treated, 40 per cent Of the vines
were visibly affected WITH stem rot,
both Rhizoctonia and black leg" and
all were puny. In addition to THE,
about SO per cent Of the cuttings had
failed to sprout at all on acsoant OF
bad dry rot infection. The whole
field was absolutely unfit for either |
seed purposes, marketing or storage. |
In varying degrees these lsss0ns