The Elbert County tribune., 1919-05-16
LUTHERAN MISSION.
FARM BUREAU NEWS.
Treating Potato Seed.
By Fl. c. Isbell, Crop Improvement Com

Bureau on May 10th, was Crop
Management, under that head came
Diseases of potatoes prevalent in
this district. brief description Of
came and the most effective des-
eription methods of treatment
The value of seed treating is
greatly underestimated by many
farmers. In Colorado, alone, more
than fifteen per cent. of the whole
potato crop planted is lost thru
poor stand, mostly caused by un-
treated, diseased tubers. If you
have a large acreage, walk thru
your own field and count the miss
ing hills.
Unless you are a careful grower,
who carefully selects and treats the
seed, the results will amaze you.
You will find one hill in seven
missing. Suppose you grow ten
acres of potatoes that yeild seventy
sacks to the acre, your loss is ten
sacks per acre, or on ten acres,
enough at average prices, to pay for
plowing, narrowing, cultivating,
and harvesting the whole crop.
Now, l am not setting a standard
of seventy sacks to the acre for
this country for there is no excuse
for any such yeild. There are sew
eral men in this country, who
would think their crops were a
failure if they fell below one hum
dred sacks. Many of our farmers
labor under the false impression
that they have to run the gauntlet
of the whole list of potato diseases
Several of which there are no sue
cessful means of combating In
Colorado, as yet, the late blight has
not appeared. and there is no early
blight, to speak of. east of the range
AS matter of fact, as far rs
disease is concerned the Divide
country and Eastern Colorado is
the most favored section for potato
growing.
So far only three destructive di-
seases have been discovered and
D
First is "Fusarium," which some of
the growers of this section have
mistaken for blight. The appear
ance of the attacked field is the
same. with the exception, that the
leaves turn to yellowish tint, in
stead of the brown patches and
circles of true blight. "Fusar-
ium" causes more loss in this sec
ton than the others combined
When the ground becomes infected
with this disease the germs live
several years, and as the disease
also forms in the interior of the
potato no method of treatment, so
far known, is really effective. It's
presence in the tubers is shown by
a dark circle a little distance un-
der the skin. The best method
of combating it is to plant no in
fected seed and not o plant in
ground known to be infected for at
least four years.
Next is Rhizoctonia which ap-
pears at times in all sections of the
country; but not SO bad on the
valleys.
When it first appears on the
vine you could easily mistake it for
the effects of high wind, as breaks
+ and cracks appear near the base of
, the vine. AS the breaks and
cracks enlarge the vines wilt and
the tubers stop growing from lact,
, clf food from the ADORE. Where
the disease becomes very bad it de.
scends to the tubers and appears
in small dark colored warty
growths on the skin.
Treat the same as for "Scab'
The last one, you all know 'Scab".
1t is the most prevalent and still
the easiest to control.
suppose some grow them be-
cause they cost more ''to grow"
The time spent gardening them,
comes high and they bring low
est prices when marketed. There
is no excuse for any one growing
scabby potatoes. as there are several
good formulas for treating it. The
one Recommended by this Bureau
and "Scab" and is used by the lead
ing growers all over the U. S. They
F., have found it more effective than any
other of the formula preparations
/ IL fo1IDxrc.