The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-05-13
POTATOES FOR
PREVENTION OF DISEASE

insure a thorough dissolving. Dip the
potatoes in this solution one n one
half hours. Throw them out on a
drain board and after they are dry
enough to handle, cut as usual. There
is nothing in this solution that will
injure your hands, although it may
make them a little rough.
Caution: Corrosive sublimate is a
poison. Keep the solution away from
stock or children.
Many Of our farmers know how to
use fo~rmaldehyde solution. 1t is not
quite as effective as corrosive subli-
mate, and we recommend the corrosive
sublimate solution to all growers who
are going into the potato business as
a general crop. Formaldehyde treat
ment, however, is very satisfactory. In
this case, use one pound Of fOrmalde-
hyde to thirty gallons of water and
dip just as in the Ease Of corrosive
sublimate for m hour and thirty
minutes (before cutting).
Selecting to escape rot-While cut
ting there are one or two types of rot
which may be recognized by looking
at the cut pieces. Discard any dis
eased tubers which show any sign of
discoloration, yellow, brown or n
color. Such potatoes are internally
infected and the treatment will not be
successful in such cases. If it were
strong enough to do that it would kill
the tuber.
Spraying the vines-The complete
method of getting the best yield from
potatoes is proper crop. rotation, prop
er seed selection, proper seed treat
ment n proper spraying of the vines.
If any one Of the steps is neglected,
you will not get as: good yield as you
should. Therefore get a proper potato
spraying outfit and spray the vines
thoroughly once about two weeks aft
er they are up and about every ten
days during the rapid growing season,
especially if rain falls to wash off the
solution. Use the so-called Bordeaux
mixture, with. Paris Green added to
kill the bugs. To make the Bordeaux
mixture, dissolve five pounds of quick
lime in a few gallons of water. Dis
solve ive pounds of copper sulphate
Glue vitrol) in another vessel. When
each is thoroughly dissolved, strain
through a cloth and mix thoroughly.
Add enough water to make the solu-
ton UP to fifty gallons. To this amount
of solution add one pound OF Paris
Green. Do not use a sprinkling can
to put on this spray, because o want
to wet the leaves evenly and thor
oughly all over. The object of the
spraying is prevention. 1T prevents
the fungi of the various blights from
blowing from the sick vines to healthy
vines, and also kills the bugs when
the Paris Green is in the same solu-
ton. The New York experiment sta
Ition reports a better paying yield from
five ~sprayings during the season than
from three. We are Of the opinion
that three or four successful applica-
tions in this region will give splendid
results, but if a man Is growing po-
tatoes in a large way, five sprayings
will be better. Plant as early g. spos-
sible, because spraying makes a long
er growth season and therefore gives
la bigger yield.
Now is .the time to select your seed
and treat it for planting. Now is the
time to keep the virgin lands of North
Dakota free from potato diseases
Everybody should be working at it
It pays any one man IL he does it f0l
himself alone. 1t will pay much bet,
ter when the whole neighborhoot
treats and sprays.