The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-03-11
WARI
HAS APPEARED
Disease Brought to America
by Imports from Europe
In 1912
INVESTS THE SOIL
FOR EIGHT YEARS

Department. of Agriculture Warns
Americans to Be on the Watch for Tt
Makes Some Soils Unfit for Potato
Production
WASHINGTON. March 11-Wart,
one of the most dangerous diseases of
potatoes which has made its appear
-ance in the United States, exists only I
in a, limited section of Pennsylvania, I
according to the latest information oh
tanned by the United States depart |
iment of agriculture. The infested ter
ritery embraces % comparatively small
mining towns. But experts of the de- !
partment have given warning that the
infestation may have reached other
sections in the same way that it
reached the Pennsylvania mining
towns, and vigilance is urged to
discover and report it, if it does ex-
ist elsewhere, as well as 10 guard
against a possible spread of infesta-
/ ton.
The wart disease is thought to have
4 been brought to Pennsylvania in 1912
in potatoes imported from Europe The
lpotato crop in the United States was
short that year and European pota-
toes are known TO have gone To Penn
sylvania and other places over tile
country where there was demand for a
cheap supply. The discovery of the
disease III Pennsylvania was made on
" last year and there is possibility
that it may be present but not vet rec
} ognizcd in other places.
RI Some Of the Pennsylvania miner.
made paintings of the imported pota-
toes in their gardens, the soil became
infested and the disease is now thor
3 oughly established in them. 1t viii bt
: very difficult to eradicate except by
ceasing to plant potatoes in these gar
dens fer several years. The infested
!. region is isolated and remote from ag
Q ricultural sections Both the Pennsvl
: wanna authorities and the United State,
department of agriculture have tatel
: energetic steps to stamp out the infes
tation, and there is thought to be It'll,
danger Of any spread OF the diseast
from that section. If investiga tons hav'
not occurred elsewhere, ii is though
that the disease will be stamped on
without further spread. Potato grower
potato buyers, market inspectors, am
county agents are urged, however, t.
be on the lookout for it in all parts o
the country.
Tests of government planned swee
}. potatoes storage houses in many state
have shown an average loss by deca
g of less than > IL per cent for seaso
of l24 days, while ut the department
farm at Arlington Va, this loss In
been reduced to less than | per cen
Damage resulting from the war
:. varies, but it is always severe, and i
= : some cases no edible potatoes at a
=, ran he grown. This WAS true in man
- Of the Pennsylvania gardens last yea
The fungus is carried over from year /
year not only in the potato but in til
soil. If the same ground is planted I
- potatoes year after year, the infest;
ton becomes so severe that the grow
ing Of potatoes is rendered impossible
Where longt rotation is practice
comparatively little damage is done.
Once the fungus is established in I'll
80 soil, there is no means of eradicatin
it excepting by preventing the growt
of potatoes on the infested ground. an
u it is known to be able to retain it's V
- tally through period of at least eigl
years.
Potatoes can be successfully grow
be on badly infested soil only by the II
i've of resistant varieties While nothii
ccs has been done in this country towal
me the development of such varitit
some of the European countries viii,
- have been ravaged by the disease we
forced to undertake it several yea
Ell ago. A considerable measure of sueee
10 has been attained, the English al
~ Scotch authorities going so far as TO /
60 FER to some of their varieties as immuI
;fe The English government last year co
6 traeted for the growing of 1000 acr
md Of immune potatoes in Scotland, t
seed from which will be available II
. spring.
III Potato experts of the department
II agriculture, however, are hopeful til
II it viii not be necessary to resort
the use of resistant varieties in Il
II country IT is not likely that tn
would be so productive as the var
II ties adapted and bred mp to meet Am
lean conditions. 1t is regarded
~ probable that some of tie standard '
rieties in this country would show
lie sistant traits, but considerable III
"a and effort would be necessary TO dot
saldS fmine this point.
GOD If the disease is discovered,
For warts and warty potatoes should
: 20! 81 collected and destroyed. Diseased II
ers should not be fed to stock withC
.