Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-15

State Horticulturist A. K. Gardner,
who for several weeks has been To-
Gated at Pressure Isle to help the
farmers of Aroostook county rid their
potatoes of the powdery scab, was at
the State House Tuesday morning and
spoke in a most encouraging manner
of the potato situation in that county
at present. He stated that the num-
FER of inspectors employed in the
county had fallen off considerably dur
ing the last week or so, about so be-
ing employed at the present time. In
the last four weeks about $500 cars
have been shipped out of the county,
averaging about 900 cars a week. But
he stated that from now on the ship
ments will probably fall off.
In all probability another year."
said Mr.. Gardner" the United States
department of agriculture will handle
the inspection and this will be better
in many ways. First it will save the
State somewhere in the neighborhood
of $4,000, as II will cost about that
to handle the inspection for the entire
State fer the season of 1914-15 Then
the Federal tag will be worth more
In the South than our tag could ever
be worth, particularly If there is lit
tie disease in the South.
Apparently the other seed produce
ing states are nearly free from dis
ease but 1t seems almost inconceiv-
able that there is not some infection
in such states as New York, Michigan
and Wisconsin as they have received
Maine seed from time to time. 1t
would be a miracle if there is no pow
derry scab in the South for the disease
must have been here in Aroostook
county for quite period.
Thus far there has been no car
turned down at the other end because
of powdery scab and it is claimed by
men who have been in New York re-
Gently that the stock is giving better
satisfaction than it has for a number
tof years. 1t has been almost impos-
sible to throw out the common scab
but the percentage has been reduced
to a minimum. Doubtless some DOW
derry scab has gone through but GER
tainly not much, especially in the seed
stock.
The shippers and most of the grow
ers co-operated In making the stock
clean just as soon as they were con-
WINGED that the powdery scab was a
serious menace to the potato industry
of the State. They all realize that
quantities of inferior potatoes have
gone out in the past for seed and
table stock which should not have
left the county and that this stock
has hurt the name of the county to
a considerable extent. Most of the
shippers are looking on the inspection
as something which has been needed
for long time and which is bound
to result in a great deal of good in
the long run. Some of the farmers
are still skeptical in regard to the
damage from this disease but the
large proportion are planning to plant
on sod ground and formaldahyde their
seed. They will use as far as is posi-
BILE seed that is free from contamina-
ton with powdery scab and will prac-
tice hand selection. 1t is safe to say
that more care will be exercised to
prevent ravages from other diseases,
such as blackleg and late blight, and
that the stock which goes out from
Aroostook county next year will be
better than ever before
The farmers are anxious to bring
the yield OF the county up to 200 bar
rels per acre and it seems reasonabl
that this can be done in many of their
varieties. 1t has been done already on
some of the farms through hill Sc
lection and as soon as the majority
realize the Importance of this meth
cd of increasing their yield they will
adopt it without hesitation. 1t is a
great county and the possibilities in
potato production cannot be compre-
hended by the average person who has
not been in the section and given it
q careful study,'