The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-03-02
BULLETIN URGES.
POTATO PROTECTION
Department Of Agriculture Booklet
Describes Certain Dangerous Dis
eases And Recommends Measures
ADVISES SEED SELECTION
Suggests That More Vigorous Ameri-
can ,Varities Be Developed By
Breeding Tells of Conditions

Breeding Tells of Conditions
More general and concerted efforts
on the part of potato growers are
needed to combat certain diseases
which threaten to impair the uigor
of the seed stock and to cause the de-
terioration of varieties, according to
the U. S. Department of Agricdl-
lures Investigator. To open the
way for more efficient measures of
control for potato diseases that have
not always been definitely under
stood new bulletin is now issued
entitled "Potato Wilt, Leaf-Rol, and
Related Diseases 1t can he had free
on application to the U. S. Depart
ment of Agriculture, Washington, D..
C. ~
The group of potato diseases treat
ed i'm the new bulletin now raises a
problem of increasing Importance to
. practical agriculture in different
countries throughout the world
Environment has a most important
Influence on crops in the several
states and in foreign countries.
Therefore, great care is needed to
determine exactly which method of
control is best in each specific in
stance where disease is present. The
Bulletin wishes particularly to en-
phasize the fact that the same sys-
tenn of seed selection and crop TO
tation that will free the potato fields
of wilt, leaf-roll and curly-dwarf,
will not only bring under control
blackleg and some other diseases,
but Will insure the maintenance Of
the strains cultivated in their most
vigorous condition and free from OBJ
pectiOnable mixtures with other var
ieties.
Losses from the late blight and rot
occur mainly in the northern States.
This causes particularly heavy los
ses during cool and humid seasons.
In the States east OF the MISSISSIPPI
I and north of the Ohio this disease is
particularly common. It is now sue
cessfully combatted by spraying with
Bordeaux mixture. 1t is also hoped
that more disease-resistant varieties
will soon aid in controlling this
blight. 49,.
To the south early blight and tip
burn play greater roll than the late
blight in injury to the potato crop.
EARLY blight is apparently not so
common in the cooler and more uni
form climate of northern Europe.
Nor does one find there that tip
burn is as common as here, where
high summer temperatures combine
with the injuries of flea beetles and
other insects to cause excessive
Transportation and it's consequent
marginal burning of the leaves.
Here also the logical line of attack
seems to be the production of varie-
ties 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 been recent
ly introduced from Europe.
A new group of diseases came into
prominence about ten. ears ago which
had not hitherto been recognized as
of economic Importance. Soon after
there occurred in Europe an out
break of a disease known as "leaf,
roll" This affliction caused heavy
losses i'm Germany and Austria ant
elsewhere, though it has not been az
generally destructive as was feared
Whether it is the same as an Ameri
can disease lis still a subject of con
troversy. One of the main objects
IS of the investigators of potato dis
eases in the Department of Agricul
ture is to distin guish between Amer
lean and European troubles, so tina
if the disease originally occurs il
this country it may he controlled
and if it originates in Europe it ma.
ne kept out by quarantine.
The Departments new bulletll
contains numerous illustrations o
new diseases that are to be feare'
by potato growers. If growers viii
realize more clearly the danger 0
the insidious losses suffered be
cause of seldom-recognized diseases
and from diseases transmitte
through the seed, they will be NOR
eager to join general campaig
against these troubles. The final re
suit will be to place the potato indus
try on a higher plan than it occu
pies today.
The types of disease distinguish
Z. as of some Importance in the Unite
States and especially treated in tn
new bulletin are the following:
Fusarium WiltA disease chal
acterized by the whiting Of the plan
Widespread in America, but not y;