Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-08-19
Potato Troubles In Maine In 1919.
POOR STANDS WHERE CERTAIN MAKES
OF FERTILIZERS WERE USED.

POOR STANDS WHERE CERTAIN MAKE:
OF FERTILIZERS WERE USED.
About the middle of July both tht
Experiment Station and the State Depart
ment of Agriculture began to receive
complains from Aroostook County rela
tive to the potato crop in certain fields
These came from both the users and ths
makers Of fertilizers. In consequence
of these reports the Director and the
Plant Pathologist of the Maine Agricul
tural Experiment Station and the Chief
of the Bureau of Inspections and the
Chief of the Seed Improvement Bureau
of the State Department, together with
several other people, made q 10 day tour
Of Aroostook County studying the con.
dition of the potato fields. While the
major portion of the crop was in q very
condition, especially con.
the unusually dry weather OF
June, large acreages where certain makes
OF fertilizer had been used were found
to be in bad shape. On some fields the
stand was almost complete failure,
ranging from this up to fairly good
stand of fairly good sized plants. Natu-
rally no definite experiments had been
planned with these particular fertilizers
but in getting at the history Of the oper.
atoms, it was possible to work out q
fairly good series, practically as good ss
though an experiment had been definite
y planned. That the loss was due to
the fertilizer was clearly established on
several farms where the same fertilizer
was used in varying proportions, rang
ing from 1000 pounds per acre down to
no application whatsoever. For ex-
ample, one man began by applying q ton
TO the acre, but later when he still had
ten acres to plant discovered that the
fertilizer was running short, and shut
down the amount that the planter would
deliver. The final two acres were plant
sd without fertilizer. Where one ton
per acre was used there was practically
no stand. When he began reducing the
amount applied the stand began to i'm
prove until on the final part where no
fertilizer was used . perfect stand was
had. Incidents similar to this were
found on various other farms.
The company whUse goods seems to
be giving the largest and most uniform
of trouble of any in the county
put out three formulas, one without any
potash, one with 4 per cent and another
with per cent of potash. Wherever
the fertilizer which contained no potash
was used practically perfect stand was
bad. Where the per cent goods was
used in small amounts there was q rea-
sonsbly good stand but when the appli
cation reached up to ton per acre the
stand was poor. With the goods carry,
ing 8 per cent Of potash, far more injury
was observed when 1900 or 1900 pounds
per acre was used than In the case oi
the 4 per cent goods. The deductions
from the notes taken on large numbers
of fields indicate very clearly that it was
the potash that was responsible for the
trouble, and not the nitrogen or the
phosphoric acid.
Because of war conditions, practically
all of the potash which was used II
American goods the present season were
of American origin, although some Alsa
clan potash was available later In tht
season and went into some mixturei
that were used in Maine. OF the Amer
ican potashes quite q large part were
obtained from Searle's Lake, the waters
of which carry considerable quantities
of potash together with some borax
Searle's Lake potash was used exciu
sively by the company whose goods were
most largely at fault and to some exten
by the four other companies where
trouble with the potato crop was found
Naturally not large amount or worh
has been done to determine the poison
ous effect of boron which is the minera
that enters into bOrax. In 1918 tht
Indiana Experiment Station foune
poisonous results from the use OF bora1
on corn and experiments made in Eng
land showed Injurious effects from bora1
with wheat, barley and potatoes.
Probably more or less of Searle's Lake
potash has been used In fertilizers II
Maine In preceding years. If the poison
GUS trouble is due to the borax as II
suspicioned, it would not be likely to b'
yery noticeable with the ordinary moist
ure conditions. But June, 1919, aftel
the potatoes were planted was particu
larly dry, unusually 80 for Aroostooi
County, there being less than an inch o.
rain instead of from 4 to 8 inches whiof
thsy commonly have In that month
Borax Is easily water soluble and J.
there bad been the usual amount OF rail-
probably that would have dissolved on
the borax and carried it far enough ava!
from the roots of the plants so that th'
Injurious effect would not have beer
noticeable. On one field after half o
it was planted there came heavy show
er. The other half WAS planted later
There is q very good stand indeed OF
the part that was planted prior to tn
rain and almost q crop failure on tn
mart that was planted after the rain.
The United States Department o
Agriculture carry on at Aroostook Farm
and on nearby farms in cooperation viii
the Experiment Station quite Q iarg
number of various kinds OF potat'
studies. Among other things they ar
growing potatoes with different kinds o
potash. Searle's Lake goods were used
A we'll rs others, as Q source OF potash
But by the department the Searle's Lax
potash was mixed with the soil befor
the seed was planted with the resul
that they have q good stand and To
potatoes appear normal with the e1ceI
lion that the edges of the leaves hav
the slight yellowing which seems to o
Characteristic Of the boron poisoning.
There 10 little reason to fear that On
permanent injury to the land from tnl
application Of fertilizer will result,
though the crop is very severely reduce
on many fields the present year. In &c
dition TO the fact that borax is waite
soluble and is likely to be dissolved an
carried by the rains 80 that 1t woui
neyer again be In the soil In concentrs
| Al solution, tho departments experiene
cited above together with field observ'
tiops where men had replanted, thereo
mixing the soil and fertilizer more con
plstely together, and obtained . perfe'
stand all indicate that the borax wi
NOT remain in the soil or II 1t does tho
oughly mixing the soil a. would be dor
In blowing and fitting for the crops, .
0ether with the action Of the rain wat
Hould make the land sweet and safe II
future crops. -,
There are 20 many things involved
potato growing that definite conclusion
can be reached only slowly at best q
somewhat imperfeotly. High graz
fertilizers such a. are universaiiy us'