Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-09-09
wart Disease Of Potato In Maine
ALL RESIDENTS CAN ASSIST In ANSWER
ING THIS QUESTION.

who raise small patches of potatoes In
their back yards and gardens, and who
are obliged to depend upon variety oi
sources for their seed, rather than to the
large, commercial growers. Teachers ir
town and city schools, boy scout mas
ters, persons in charge of school gardens
boys and girls club leaders and Others
engaged in similar lines OF work are
especially urged to assist in the search
for the disease.
The Maine Agricultural Experiment
Station believes that the question OF
whether or not the wart disease occurs
in Maine is one of vital Importance to
the potato industry of the state. For
this reason 1t is cooperating, through it's
Pathologist, with the Plant Disease Sur
vey of the Federal Department OF Agri-
culture in statewide search for 1t dur
ing the harvest season. The Station will
gladly examine aud report on all suspect
ed potato tubers sent for examination.
Address all communications on this sub
ject to the Maine Agricultural Expert
ment Station, Orono, Maine. If request
ed, franked shipping tags will be sent
which may be used for sending such
tubers by mail without pay ment OF post
age.
The Plant Disease Survey has detailed
q specialist who will devote his entire
time to the work in this state during the
harvest season. He will, of course, have
the support and assistance Of all organi-
cations and agencies, including the Sta
ton, whose purpose il is to promote the
industry of agriculture, but even with
this help it will be impossible to make
an adequate survey, particularly of those
parts of the state where the possibilities
are greatest that the disease has been
introduced. Hence the success or fail
ure of the work depends upon the CO.
operation of the average citizen.
This work should in no wise be con-
sidered as an effort to prove that potato
wart occurs In Maine. 1t Is hoped, and
there is considerable reason to believe
that 1t does not occur here. If it Is here
the fact cannot be known too soon, 80
that adequate measures may be taken to
prevent It's spread to the large potato
growing areas. What Is desired Is to in
form the general public of the nature OF
the disease and It's seriousness, and thus
stimulate interest in the subject. Then
II the disease is not found, through the
voluntary assistance Of large number
Of individuals, 1t can be said with con-
siderable certainty that potato wart does
not occur in Maine. All readers of this
article are personally invited and re-
auested to assist In the work. Reports
Of searches made over definite areas with
failure to find the disease will be espe-
cially welcome. Public school teachers
could organize their pupils into potato
Disease Survey Clubs" each one to In
spect the home garden and other gardens
In the neighborhood. Reports of such
surveys should state the town or portion
of the town or city covered and the num-
Der of gardens examined therein. Liter
ature on wart and other potato diseases
will be sent to any teacher In Maine who
requests it.
This search for potato wsrt is not con-
fined to Maine but is being carried on In
practically every other state in the
Union.
HOW TO KNOW POTATO wART.
One does not have to be plant pathol-
ogist, or even farmer, to know potato
wart. It was discovered q short time
ago for the first time in the United States
land the second time in North America)
BY school boy In his home garden In q
Pennsylvania mining town.
Wart first appears as small spongy out
growths on the tubers, especially at the
eyes. These warts may grow as large
as potato itself, and often the whole
tuber Is changed to spongy, warty
mass. The diseased growths are light
brown when young but the color grows
darker with age finally changing to
black. Badly diseased potatoes decay In
the field, and those seriously diseased
are likely to decay in storage. With
ordinary tuber decay no warty, rough
ened outgrowths appear. The warts are
irregular and spongy, differing In color
from the normal surface OF the tuber,
and in no way resemble the smooth
tuber-like outgrowths of varying sizes
frequently seen on normal tubers.
The Station has supply of post cards
which were furnished by the Plant Dis
ease Survey. These cards bear very
good illustrations and brief description
of the disease, and will be sent to any
address on request. A limited supply of
illustrated circulars is also available for
use of teachers and club leaders, etc.,
who request them.
Potato wart is the most dangerous and
destructive disease that has ever been
found on the potato. 1t not only de-
stroys the crop but the fungus which
causes the disease may infest the soil
into which 1t is introduced, for an unde
termined period of time. 1t may be
spread by disesssd tubers, garbage, ma
nure OF animals fed on diseased tubers,
BY distribution of infested soil and even
| by drainage water from infested fields.
Prior to 1912 large quantities of pota-
toes were imported into this country for
table purposes from the regions where
potato wart occurs In Europe. The use
of such potatoes for seed is the probable
explanation of its introduction into the
home gardens Of certain mining towns of
Pennsylvania. If 1t occurs at oil, else
whore in the United States, IL is probably
| in the vicinity of the larger towns whore
such table stock has been used for seed
In kitchen gardens, or In market gardens
which have been contaminated through
use of city garbage for fertilizer, or for
feeding hogs or other animals.
There has never been much excuse for
any town in Maine to resort to foreign
potatoes for table purposes, but being q
seacoast state there are other possibili.
ties for the Introduction of the disease
with potatoes obtained abroad, although
these possibilities may be remote. In
the commercial potato growing sections
of Maine much attention has been given
| In recent years to the nature and causes
of potato diseases. Also nearly every
| rural community now has the service OF
itle Farm Bureau and County Agent.
The latter, along with his other varied
duties, 10 local plant doctor and as such
| IL constantly on the alert looking for new
or dangerous maladies. 1t hardly seems
possible that 80 conspicuous potato
disease has gained foothold in such
sections under these conditions. 1t was
introduced into Pennsylvania, % far as
now known, only in the region where
agriculture as an industry does not exist.
Therefore those who are most competent
to Judge feel that there is little chance
of potatoRart being found In Maine ex'
cept in or around the larger manufactur'
ing towns or possibly along the cosst.
However this should not be considered
a reason for not making Q careful search
for the disease wherever potatoes are
grown.
Wat doaa mt kill the potato plant