Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1919-07-25
POTATO WART A
DANGEROUS DISEASE
Imported Through Diseased Seed
From Europe And Hard To
Control. Warning Issued
APPEARANCE OF DISEASE

Sent here BY tie q Department
of Agriculture, Mr. 4 G Martin nm
employee Of this department. IS In An
napolis today and has been making II
general survey IL farm conditions In
Anne Arundel for the purpose 81 de-
terminiIg If there lie any evidence of
the dangerous new disease. recently
found In the United States among
white potatoes. known as the potato
wart &
II has been known III Europe for
some time. and has caused increasing
III serious Losses ID the potato crops
Eof England and ireland, but vas not
known to BE prcsent m this country
until found IN eenns ylyania II tie fill
Of 1918 Undoubtedly the disease MAS
introduced BY tile Importation III dis
eased seed from Europe Such iH-
portation Is nov prohibited. and the
Department Of Agriculture has taken
several measures for the control of the
trouble. A strict quarantine has been
imposed on the infected area IN Penn
sylpania, and ii Ii against the law to
sell suspected potatoes The Plant
Disease Survey ii conducting 4 cams
paign OF invest igation and publicity in
regard to the Potato Wart disease.
The object of the survey Is to deter
mine the prevalence Of Infection and
To call the attention Of the public t.
It's dangerous character and in this
way make II possible To exierlninate
the disease before Ii spreads
Found In Gardens
In Pennsylvania the war; disease
was first found iii city gardens III sec
tions populated by foreigners Prob
ably some Immigrants who had pre-
ference FOR variety Of potato raised
la Europe. procured seed from his
home country and planted It ID his
garden Infection may have gained
entrance III this way, Or through sew
eral other possible methods II has
spread from garden to garden, and Ii
creeping into the sections where po-
tatoes are raised commercially.
Appearance 81 the Disease
Affected potatoes have rough, IRE.
gular. spongy out growths which usn,
ally start at the eyes, but may even,
Etually cover the whole tuber These
so-ealied warts are light brown al
first. but later become black, and final.
Inv decay with age They are produced
by the action Of parasitic fungus
The disease does not affect the vines
above the ground, materially, so ii ii
hard to detect before harvest time
Control
After infection has appeared. it Il
diffleult to eradicate since the disease
can exist for many years III the soil
An ounce Of prevention In the form
of investigation Is worth several
pounds obscure There il no known
cure for the disease in the form of i
treatment, and since 1t Is hard to gel
rid OF when once acquired, il is I'M
portant to ascertain the. places where
1T exists and prevent its invasion 81
new territory. It is quite possible that
the disease Is present in localities
whore 1t has not been reported. since
comparatively few have heard about ii
and are aware Of It's dangerous char
acter
Prevention
II IL the duty of every grower,
whether farmer or gardener. to be on
the watch for the disease, and report
AL suspected cases immediately. Re-
ports may be made to Mr. G. E. Nor
ris. County Agent Annapolis, Md. or
to e. j. Temple State College. Coli
lege Park, Md or to tho Plant Disease
Survey, u s. Department Of Agricul-
ture, washington. p. G. Mr.. a. G.
Ii