The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-03-03


part OF potato growers are needed TO
combat certain diseases which threat.
en- to impair the vigor of the seed
stock and TO cause the deterioration of
varieties, according to the U. s. De
partment of Agriculture's investigator.
To open the way for more efficient
measures of control for potato diseas-
es that have not always been definite
ly understood new bulletin is now is.
sued entitled Potato Wilt, Leaf-Roll,
and Related Diseases 1t can be had
free on application to the u. S. De-
partment of Agriculture, Washington,
ID. c.
The group of potato diseases treated
in the new bulletin now raises prob
lem of increasing Importance to prac-
tical agriculture in different countries
throughout the world. Environment
has most important influence on
crops in the several states and in for
eign countries. Therefore, great care
is needed to determine exactly which
method of control is best in each spe-
| cific instance where disease is pres
ent. The Bulletin wishes particularly
to emphasize the fact that the same
system of sed selection and crop rota-
ton that will free the potato fields Of
wilt, leaf-roll and curly-dwarf, win not
only bring under control blackleg and
some other diseases, but will insure
the maintenance of the strains culti-
waited in their most vigorous condition
and free from Objectionable mixtures
with other varieties.
Losses from the late blight and rot
occur mainly in the northern states.
This causes particularly heavy losses
during cool and humid seasons. In the
states east of the Mississippi and north
of the Ohio this disease is particularly
common. 1t is now successfully CON-
bated by spraying with Bordeaux mix
ture. 1t is also hoped that more dis
ease-resjstent varieties will soon aid in
controlling this blight
To the south early blight and tip
burn play greater role than the alte-
blight in injury to the potato crop. Ear
ly blight is apparently not so common
in the cooler and more uniform eli
mate of northern Europe. Nor does
one find there that tipDurn is as COM
mon as here, where high summer tenn
peratures combine with the injuries OF
flea beetles and other insects TO cause
excessive Transportation and it's conse-
quent marginal burning of the leaves.
Here also the logical line of attack
seems to be the production Of varieties
possessing heat resistance.
With the progress of studies of this
problem other potato diseases have
been recognized in the United States. |
Some of these like the brown-rot, had
doubtless been long prevalent, while |
others, like the blackleg, appear to
have ben recently introduced from
Europe.
A new group of diseases came into
prominence about ten years ago which |
had not hitherto been recognized as, of
economic Importance. Soon after there
occurred in Europe an outbreak of n
disease known as "leaf-roll." This af-
Fiction caused heavy losses in Ger
many and Austria and elsewhere,
though it has not been as generally
destructive as was feared Whether
it is the same as an American disease
is still subject of controversy. One
of the main objects of the investiga-
tors of potato diseases in the Depart
ment of agriculture is to distinguish
between American and European trOu-
bles, so that if the disease originally
occurs in this country 1t may be con.
trolled, and if it originates in Europe
it may be kept out by quarantine. Il
The departments new bulletin con-
tains numerous illustrations of new
diseases that are to be feared by po-
tato growers. If growers will realize
more clearly the danger of the insidi-
Gus losses suffered because of seldom
recognized diseases, and from diseases
transmitted through the seed, they
will be more eager to join a general
campaign against these troubles. The
final result will be to place the potato
industry on higher plane than it oc-
cupies today.
The types of disease distinguished
as of some importance in the United
States and especially treated in the
new bulletin are the following:
Fusarium Wilt-A diseases charac-
terized by the whiting of the plant
Widespread in America, but not yet
identified from Europe.
verticillium Wilt-A wilt resem-
bling the foregoing. often more rapid. |
Present in both America and Europe. |,
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