The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1915-04-29
POTATO INDUSTRY SHOULD
BE- GUARDED BY GROWERS

The potato industry Is valuable
one for North Dakota as well as for
Minnesota. 1t is being found in Min
nesota that unless they take active
steps in improving their potatoes and
eliminating disease that they will suf-
fer in the market and especially so in
the seed potato markets. The same
applies to North Dakota and perhaps
even more so as the potatoes grown in
North Dakota are particularly valuable
for seed .r. ..
But potatoes for seed need to be Of
good type and free from disease.
In Minnesota potato campaign is
being made with the aim of interest
ing the farmers in improving their
potatoes by the securing of good vari-
eties, by selecting carefully and by
guarding against disease. A potato
car is being sent over the various
lines Of railroad. Lectures are being
given on varieties and it is being urged
that but few varieties be grown.
Those recommended are Early Ohio,
Green Mountain, Russell, King, Bur-
bank and Rural New Yorker. The
King was particularly recommended
for sandy soil. 1t grows a good size
in sand but becomes too large on
heavy soil. The Russell, on the other
hand, is adapted to heavy soil. The
Burbank must have mellow soil. The
Bliss Triumph is good potato, too,
but the market demand for it is quite
irregular. 'a.'
A great deal of emphasis was laid
on community growing the same
kind of potatoes, and that the potatoes
be carefully selected. A number Of
experiments were cited in which the
best shaped and the poorest shaped
potatoes were selected from the same
bins and planted, the difference in
yield running 80 to S6 bushels per acre
in favor of the well selected seed.
The same thing is true Of potatoes as
of animals. To keep them up to stand
ard care must be used in selection or
they will deteriorate.
The same diseases are affecting
potatoes in Minnesota as in North
Dakota. The common scab and Rhi-
zoctonia, or black scurf, are two
diseases that are carried on the tu-
bers. The way to guard against them
is to first select potatoes that are
quite free from them and then to treat
them with corrosive sublimate for two
hours-4 ounces of sublimate dis
solved in little warm water and then
made up to 80 gallons. This is a
very poisonous solution, so needs to be
handled accordingly.
The way to guard against the early
late blight Is spraying with the Bor-
deaux mixture. The late blight also
causes rot in the tubers SO care must
be used in selecting the seed to avoid
affected potatoes It has not appeared
as yet in North Dakota.
The fusarium wilt is another bad po-
tato disease. The way to tell if tu-
Der is affected is to cut the end of it..
If brown ring or discoloration is
present it is pretty good evidence that
the tuber is affected with the wilt.
There is no way to treat tubers for the
wilt. The only way to get rid of it is
to plant clean seed. .~..
The potato diseases live in the soil
for several years. The potatoes
should be grown on different land each
season.
Those who wish to study these pota-
to diseases can secure from the North
Dakota experiment station farmers
institute monthly entitled Potato Dis.
eases in North Dakota
The Minnesota Potato Growers asso.
citation in Minnesota and the Exten-
sion department are ready to aid farm
ers in forming local potato growers
associations for the, purpose Of care,
fully selecting the potatoes that are
marketed so as to be able to guaran-
tee both the quality and the freedom
from disease @
North Dakota has a potato growers
association that is ready to help farm
ers organize for the same purpose and
the North Dakota experiment station
is investigating the potato diseases.
1t is very important for North Da.
kota that the potatoes be carefully Sc.
lected so as to keep UP quality and. to
guard against disease, If the state is
to keep up its reputation for producing
the best seed potatoes as well as the