The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-03-10
TIE POTATO CROP
IN grave DANGER
p0Wdery SCab Disease May Gene Unless
Seed Are Carefully Selected. :

Seed Are Carefully Selected.
Atlanta, Ca, ~March.-UnlesS they
exercise care as to the source of their
seed potatoes, Georgia farmers are in h
danger of losing thousandssof dollars =
this year on their potato crops as
the result of the powdery scab, the
most destructive disease known to tho
Irish potato.
Under no circumstances, declares
State Entomologist E. Lee W0rsham,
should the Georgia farmer plant po-
tato seed this year from the infected
districts Of Maine and New York. be-
cause it has just been found impoSsi-
BILE to detect the disease in its early
stages, and it may be introduced into
the state through some of the pOta-
toes which have been certified to as
good for seed and which are now In
Georgia, or on their way here.
Especially, states Mr.. WoEsham,
should the planter avoid the use for
seed of any potatoes which are label
ed For Table Use Only" as these
are possibly infected and at least
under suspicion.
Mr.. Worsham has just received in
formation from the Federal HOYtieul-
tuEa1 Beard in Washington to the ef
feet that it has refused to certify
any further seed potatoes from the
disease infected sections of Maine and
New York, from which large supply
of the seed potatoes used in Georgia
is secured. This action was taken
On account Of the discovery just made
that it is practically impossible to de-
tect the pOwdery seab disease in IT'S
early stages.
Would Mean Loss
OF Many Thousands.
Should this disease get into Georgia
potato fields, it would mean a loss or
many thousands of dollars to the state
through the destruction of crops. 1t
weuad also prevent any shipments Of
POTATOES from infected sections being
made to Ssker states.
Since January, 1914, there has been
established quarantine against thesE
infected areas in Maine and Newt
York. The principal infected area in
Maine is ArOostook county. Hereto
fore shipments of potatoes from these
areas have been permitted on ceTtf6-
cate following careful inspection. PO-
tatoes thought to be absolutely free
from tiaO disease were certified to by
the federal agricultural hoard as seed
potatoes and their shipment authorlz-
ed. AH potatoes under any suspicion
whatsoever were certified to only as
table stock potatoes and not suitable
for planting.
All interstate shipments of potatoes
are controlled by the Federal Hortf-
cultural Board of Washington, and this
board has now reached the conclusion
that it iS dangerous to plant any 20
tatoes from the infected districts, ow-
ing TO the difficulty of detecting the
disease in it's early stages. This M
formation was conveyed to State En-
tomologist Worsham in the follOwins
telegram
Washington, D. c., March 4. 1915.-
E. L. Worsha@, State Entomologist,
Atlanta, Ca: The rapid spread Of
powdery scab disease in Aroostook
county, Maine, and the difficulty which
has developed in detecting by any
practicable inspection the presence OF
slight infection with this disease has
led the department to discontinue fur
Their certification of seed stock from
the infected districts in Maine and
New York. Public should be warned
that all seed potatoes hitherto shipped
from infected districts in Maine and
New York may contain powdery scab
whether certified or not. The only
federal certification, of potatoes as a
condition Of interstate movement
IIOlu Tie lul0CCoQ districts hereafter
will be as table stock potatoes. G. L.
| MaTlatt, Chairman Federal Horticul-
tural Board"
Would Be Dangerous
To Take a Chance.
Hundreds of Georgia farmers have
been in the habit of getting their no.
tato seed from Maine and New York
because of the heretofore good quality
of the seed. But, under the circum-
stances, Mr.. Worsham says, it is bet-
ter for them to use any seed thew can
get than to run the danger of introduc-
ing The powdery scab disease the Of.
feet of which will be practically to
destroy the potato industry in what
ever section Of the state it beeams
prevalent
Under the horticultural boards dc.
sision it will be dangerous now even
to use the potatoes which it has nj. |
ready certified for seed, because there
is no way of telling whether CIR not
they are diseased. The certified seas