Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-07-20
EXPERT AGRICUlTURlSTS
FIGHT NEW POTATO WART
BlncksburE Pathological Describes Dis
ensc for Information OF IIrElnin
,

| New among diseases which attack
! the potato is the wart THIS disease
mas not yet appeared in NirS mia. but
| so that experts may have specimens
| in case il does. y. Il: Massey plant
! pathoiosist Of B:acksburp. has written
an article describing tho disease MIR
! Massey writes:
| There exists in Europe u disease OF
| the Irish potato which is vcr~ de-
structive and difficult, I" control Pre-
vious tn 1912 there was little or no
protection. by quarantine. Ia our po-
iety Was fol, over the safety of a
crop OF more than ii2.;36.nnn bushels
The drehdci potato wart disease being
brought ~ on potatoes shipped from
wa ar, infected areas OF Europe
tine upon potatoes grown in countries
where wart WAS known 20 exist be-
came effective. Unfortunately. how
ever. TINS quarantine came :uto effect
TOO late 10 stop the cntranc" OF some
shipments of tn. ;.ll crop rom wart-
injected sections If Europ".
LtrEc shipments of tncSn poiators
entered the United states in laI2 and
were scattered over the eastern hIit
OK tho country. some Of them ;e,chins
Goa companies: In this amtn:aritr
coal region of PENNSYLVANIA is whrrn
IN, IN, disease was found las, year. since
inc disease Reached rcnnSNlNan!.,
throuSh tn" imported potatoes. thrrr
is chance % its occurrr,ire els
where: that is. in other sections whrr.
the imported potatoes. haNin.: tn. dis
ease. reached. This year tn. Govern
meat. through the Plant Disea.>. .Stir.
Ney and Federal Hortic"l u.al Ec,rd.
Is attempting to locate any other in
'Scttu sections. AS the disease IS
ec"Snizable only upon The tub.rs a;
disGinS time and afterwards. i; is
diS"isc In their gardens aud fields
~ hrst the disease appears rs small
i.sh'-coIorci warts OF spon:;y ua :
iurc. more often developing from M.
eyes. The wart becomes larger ami
with aSc darkcns finally become :
ihck and decays or disintcgratcs with
hso. releasing the germ into the So!
thousands Of disease germs are in the
black warts. hence only "A few diseased
tubcrS may he ii. source for rnnSi.i.r-
abb" soil infection Soil once infected
soil becomes infected ,hcrc is no known
method Of treating the soil u kill H."
germs.
The disease may spread from irfcc-
cd places by disease laden soil being
transported by wat"r, on feet of man
ana other animals. 10y diseased pIrin. $
thus on soil or tnc MANURE pile; tho
planting OF diseased tubcrs anI by
feeding diseased tuocrs TO animals and
spreading the manure on the garden
or fields.
The disease is moro apt 10 no hidden
III some small planting waiting to h"
carried into some commercial section.
II is very highly important that th"s"
places be located in order 20 eradicat"
the disease before i, sets into the
commercial fields II is .rrprac,icabl q
for government field men to get into
ali the places Ia look for tn. disease
hence ii is highly d"sirahl that people.
Though they only grow enough po-
;atoeS for home ~ personal use. in
form Themselves ~ tn" disease and
look ont for =. Postcard pictures and
other Information will he gladly son;
TO parties. Al suspicious look in /.
specimens should h@ sent 20 the plan,
pa;hologist. Rlackshurc. W. or The
Plant Disease survey United states
Department Of Agriculture, Washing
tnn II. g.