The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-09-20
NEW POTATO DISEASE IS
THREATENING COUNTRY
Anyone Who Finds Traces of the New
Disease Asked to Toward lnfor-
nation to County Agent

Disease HSkeu 10 reward lnIOT-
nation to County Agent
Representatives from the Farm
Plant Disease Survey office Of the
Plant Bureau in Washington are
securing all parts of the country in
track of newly discovered and seri
Gus po alto disease that is threatening
! to become a menace in the United
States X c. Westover who cooper
ates with the state pathologist work
in Vermont and New Hampshire, call
ed at the Banner office Friday and
gave many facts concerning this dan
gerous plan. disease that strikes at
/ one q the fundamental food products
/ O, the country
At the present time, there is no
practca, remedy for the disease and
no way to insure its prevention but
efforts are being made to discover
every field in which the parasite de
/ velops and quarantine ii until re
NEEDY has been worked cut This
securing of the country at this time
I for the appearance of the disease is
merely a preliminary survey, the
object of which is to find the disease
and at the same time ge- information
concerning it before the public.
Mr. Westcver says that the depart
/ ment is sure. that a cure will be found,
but the important thing al present is
TO locate and isolate any crops that
are afflicted and to gain the co-opera.
ton Of the public in keeping a sharp
/ lookout for the disease.
| The potato crop of the United States
Iaggregating 400,106,OOO bushels is en-
/ dangered by this serious new disease
which probably was brought into this
country from Europe II is called the
/ Wart Disease Ct Potato (Irish) and Is
already known to be in several sec
tiun5 of Pennsylvania and in West Vir
Ignia 1t is also possible that it has
already appeared in other parts Of the
country not yet reported.
This disease caused severe shortage
Cf the crcp in Europe in 1912 Al that
time, the United States placed an en-
barge on all importations Of foreign
grown stock as a measure Of security
to our own industry. II is known how
ever. that several cargoes entered our
eastern ports Immediately before the
embargo went in-o effect. These ship
ments have been traced as far as
$ b'e to the consumers and result
negatively yet infested areas ere be
iEg found which necessarily place the
entire country under suspicion. The
disease necessitates rigid quarantine
for an indefinite period OF time as a
preventa i've measure against further
infestation
1t is earnestly requested that all
potatoEusers cooperate with the de-
partment in the discovery of this dis
ease by the careful inspection of all
potato stock, since our first incesta-
tions doubt ess originated from the
table or eating stock A special APP
peal is made to those living in thickly
populated communities.
The disease is readily recognized by
rough. spongy outgrowths varying
from the size of a pea to the size OF
the tuber itself, being produced on the
potato especially at the eyes CT at in
iured places These outgrowths are
light brown at first bue become black
with age and rapidly decay causing
soil infestation which has been known
to last for years.
The disease does not affect the top,
people are warned to keep careful
watch when planting or digging. If
any indication of the disease is dii
covered, report promptly and send
specimens of all suspicious cases to
county agent F. Clifford Shaw, to the
tate experimental station in charge
If pathologist Dr. b. F. Lutman, or to
he Plant Disease Survey, Plant Bur
EAU, Washington d. c.