Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-11
BLACK HEART IN
TURNiPS IN MAINE
a Serious Trouble to the Wash
ington County Farmers-Ex-
periments Since 1918 Fail to
Locate Cause-Further Study
Planned from Coming Season

Orono. Ne. Feb. 11-tSpeciai)-The
following has been made public BY Ii
rector Chas. q. Woods Of the Aaia=
Agricultural Experiment station:
Many q the farmers in the coastal
towns Ct the southeastern part Of
Washington county are interested II
cairying IN z small way. Because OF
the sol! ana climatic conditions they
H1d il difficult 10 grow cora for silage,
and maagolds have not done par-tcu-
larry vel il that section. Turnips
and ru:a bagas, however seem to De
particularly well adapt5i 5o,h 70 the
climate ani 70 the sol, which Is q
heavy clay, ard On this account have
been quite largely grown for sale fo-
table purposes and fer stock food.
: very serious drawback TO curniD
culture il lhat locality IS that under
certain conditions they are black
tea-s5" This renders tie tir-ip IN
81 for n2arket- although apparently i
dos Tot effect rs ra,ue az stock
food. - s-rlous & TIE situation Ih2.
some commission Nan II Boston an.
New YORK decline % handle st An
cregs'' t1-r:ns al al
The County Bero.srrs-or <o- the
College IF Agriculture il Washington
-oGnty learned Of thsse facts in 1918,
and had specimens se1- 70 the 3iaine
Agricultural Experiment Station o-
Mr. Wasabu-,' of PERI. Er. WASH
burn said that THESE particular turnips
we're grcTn upon fertilizer COM
posed Of Z ton - smoked herring
SKINS, 80 rour2s Of ho1e blacA- and
53l pounds Of Nitrate q p1tash per
acre Also ira. ire Weather cond:-
lions Were toe g. Tor IRE best results
during J.ne 51.r ami AlrLsg. Ee
noted rat the disease apparently at
talked the turnips as soon as they be
gan . form nd vas Tery noticeable
When la=s- hecane a. large as eggs.
He said -h.at Il id noI increase r
srU--ga Primers il tEat vicinity haa
a!ways govr thF Purple Top rut2-
baga; they had uoc noticed .ha-
heather conditions - THE u plant
ing hal an eEert On the trouble: al!
though many tanners thought Il was
worse n Q dry season. II the tu-aip,
stop growing tcr : tirne the trouble
: Limos, invariably appears. S;r
Washi TT thought there vas a re,a-
ton between the k.ad of fertilizer
lsed ara the tuvn.p trouble. With
barn manure ana fish coTposted tne"
-.o1ld get good turrips. IIe had rssd
Ssh Ion-ece alone ara raised q light
cco2 q tE-2ips but q excellent qua
i,y. The addition Of bone black and
su.Thate q mUr.ste IF potash in
creased the amount OF black heart
H sometimes lad as high as 2T5 bar
refs PER acre without Z busheI OF good
ones in the loT-
TIE tu-n:ps sent 70 the Station
were q perfect torrl outside the skins
were bright and smoc-h. When cut
they were d OIL h-oEa color The
discoloration extended cut nearly q
the skin, with watery st-eaks. Tha
flesh OF many Of the tUrnips was
strin5y. Careful examination by the
plant pathoiogists OF the Maine Agri-
cultural Experiment Station showed
that this black heart IS not disease
in the sense that it is either produce
by fungi or bacteria. L = apparently
a physical condition arising from
some factor or factors in the growth
Of the plants, which laboratory studies
failed 70 disclose.