The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-05-04
DISEASE Turks IN SACKS
USED FOR IMPORTATION
OF POTATOES TO U. S.
BY Ralph A Collins, in the Washington


Times.
special warning against the use of
second hand potato sacks, and a lucid
explanation OF the conditions under
when Foreign potatoes can be admitted
10 the United States under the quar-
ahtlne action taken by the federal hor-
tlcultural board are given in an official
statement from the department of agri-
culture.
The potato situation with conflict
ing statement of famine and plenty
nave to great extent left the public
mind in chaos. Importers, many po-
! tato men and foreign growers pro-
claimed an impending famine. This
was denied by the department. Then
! the horticultural board, despite all pro-
tests extended the potato quarantine to
canada and other countries not pre-
viously involved
AT the same time regulations were
prescribed for the admission Of DO
tatoes from disease free districts and
countries. 1t is made plain today that
| districts that are disease free must
quarantine against the disease area.
American Crob Would Receive Injury
Potato wart and other diseases are
highly contagious. and without proper
protection, 1t is declared by the gov
eminent experts, the American potato
crop will receive permanent injury
Those opposing quarantine still main
tain that famine will ensue, but ex-
perts say 1t is better to have famine
now and assurance Of future American
| crops than to utterly destroy American
independence in this crop by letting
| in destructive disease that would bring
| practically permanent impairment.
The warning issued today is to
American growers, and aimed at sacks
from Great Britain or continental Eu-
TTw,I
1t is declared. they will carry potato
| contagion.
THE reason for this" the warning
| says, lis that recent inspections have
| furnished ample evidence OF the pres
ence of a number Of the most serious
potato diseases among impOrtations Of
that staple from Europe. These in
| clude the late blight disease, silver
scTf, both dry and soft rots, common
scab, and the poWdery scab.
THE germs of these diseases, the
specialists find, may be, and undoubt-
| eddy are, carried in the sacks in which
| potatoes have been imported from
Europe. The sacks, therefore, provide
a source OF infection to American
grown potatoes packed in them.
Big Trade in Secondhand Sacks.
1T appears there is a considerable
trade in such secondhand foreign po-
|
chiefly at the Atlantic ports of entry
to the United States, and especially
| in New York, and potato growers OF
the eastern states.
In some instances, entire shipments
! from the great potato districts OF Maine
| to New York city have been made in
! foreign, secondhand sacks.
Even though none of the imported
| notatoes themselves were used for seed
purposes which is not the case, these
| diseases would none the less surely,
| but more insidiously, be introduced and
| spread through this traffic in second
hand potato sacks as now conducted
Farmers should require dealers 10
| guarantee that the sacks have been
| SteriIiZed. Purchasers of seed pOta-
| toes should specify that the seed came
| in new sacks or sterilized second hand
| socks. Dealers can steriliZe these sacks
| before offering them for sale by
| placing the empty sacks in tight con-
| tanners in which live steam should be
injected for about an hour. FUR
chasers of secondhand sacks can pro-
| tect themselves by following the same
! procedure or by boiling them for two
! or three hours in any available vessel.
Unless these precautions are taken the
use of new sacks exclusively is rec
! ommended.'
| importers Must Get Permits.
| The quarantine order against pota-
l toes extended to them the nursery
| stock regulations of the plant quar-
| antine act and provided that no po-
tatoes could be imported until the
| importers had secured permits from
the federal horticultural board. SINH
| lar to those now issued to importers
| of nursery stock. Inc regulations pro-
vide that:
Potatoes to be admitted must be
certified by the government OF the
| country of origin to be free from dan
gerous diseases and insect pests cover
| ed by the quarantine, and must nave
| been grown in a district free from the
wart disease and the pOwdery scab.
The new regulations define the exact
| conditions under which such disease
free potatoes will be admitted.
The regulations, in general, besides
| prescribing the exact forms of notifying
| the government of shipments, provide
| for the admission under the inspection
| system, Of potatoes from all countries
not under quarantine. Such countStes
must. however, maintain effective
| quarantines Of their own against In
| fected countries; that Is, countries re-
manning under quarantine by the Uni
| ted States.
The regulations also provide for the
| lifting of the quarantine as to any
| countries covered by the quarantine
upon the presentation of satisfactory
| evidence to the secretary of agricul-
ture that such country. or well-defined
| district thereof, Is free from injurious
| potato diseases and insect pests, and,
| after the quarantine has been thus
| lifted, potatoes will be admitted from
| such country or district in accordance
with the regulations governing entry
| Of potatoes from countries not now
under quarantine. The countries now