Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1914-04-04
CAREFUL STUDY OF POTATO
SCAB.
State of Maine Authorities Studying
the Situation.


mems of scab to be forwarded in differ
ent years from various parts of the
county, writes Dr. Charles d. Woods,
Director of the Station, in describing
the control of the powdery scab in
Maine. About year ago two speci-
mems were received-one from Massa-
chusetts and the other from Colorado
which were infected with powdery
scab. So far as is known, this was the
first intimaton of any powdery scab
produced on potatoes grown within
the United States.
Powdery scab differs from the or
binary scab, which is prevalent every
where that potatoes are grown, in
quite number of ways The com
mon scab is caused by minute fun
gus; the powdery scab by plants OF
a different order and larger size, that
are called slime molds. This ordinary
scab produces rather corky appear
ance upon a potato. Powdery scab
grows in fine scales or powder. Or
binary scab does not penetrate or seri-
ously injure the tuber below the skin.
Potatoes badly infected with powdery
scab begin to shink and will not keep.
While no methods of eradicating
the ordinary scab from infected land
have been as yet found it is possible
to clean up infected seed and also by
cultural methods. particularly green
manuring, that will produce somewhat
acid conditions in the soil, TO reduce
the amount of the scab upon the crop.
AT present no ways of cleaning seed
or land from powdery scab are known.
In the summer of 1913 single spec
linen of powdery scab was found in a
field in Pressure Isle by the plant
pathologist OF the United States De
partment of Agriculture. This was
Immediately sent to the plant pa
biologist of the Maine Station, and
from that time on a careful watch
was kept for the powdery scab in
Maine. 1t was located on one farm
81 iOSHdN 1915 anu oli IL WAS
found that that seed came from an
original shipment in 1911 to Portland
from Ireland. 1t was confidently
hoped that this represented all of the
powdery scab in Maine. Powdery
scab, however. was found to be
abundant in New Brunswick towns
adjoining Maine, and it could hardly
be hoped that Maine had entirely es-
capped this infection
About three weeks ago the Minis
ter of Agriculture of New Brunswick
notified the department at Washing
ton that car of potatoes passing
through Canada in bond contained
powdery scab. This led to an in
vestigation and plant pathologist of
the Maine station, plant pathologist
of the United States Department of
Agriculture and representative of
the Maine Department of Agriculture
Immediately went Aroostook county
and began a search for powdery scab
Ii was at once found to be more or
less prevalent in the territory along
the St. John river in the upper end of
the county. The Maine Department
og Agriculture Immediately engaged
half dozen people to work with them
and have made preliminary survey
of the county. They have found pow
derry scab to be pretty generally dis
tributed as far south as Presque Isle,
and occasionally on farms as far south
as Houlton. The infection is not
great in amount but because of the
infective nature of the disease its be-
ing so widespread is of great signih-
canoe.
Inasmuch as the United States
Board of Horticultural Inspection
have closed all European countries
from shipping potatoes to the United
States on account of the danger from
powdery scab, they view with alarm
the situation in Maine, as did also the
authorities in Maine.
A month ago the Commissioner of
Agriculture, the Director of the Sta
ton, and a representative of the Hor
ticultural Board from Washington and
officers of the Potato Growers Asso-
citation. conferred with the Governor
and measures were taken for hand
ling the then one known case of pow
derry scab AS other cases have de
veloped during the investigation the
Governor has been kept informed,
with the result that on Monday, Feb
ruary %, this whole subject was con
sidered at a special meeting of the
Council. In the meantime the Horti
cultural Board at Washington had APP
pointed hearing making it necessary
for Maine to show what reasons. if
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