Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-03-17
Treatment OF
POTATO SEEN
George L. Zundel,

washington potato growers are i.
ing heavily each year from rh,
tonia. This fungus is carried II
ways--in the soil and on the ~.
tuber. Rhizoctonia is found in u'
soils, and when native to the sor
treatment is effective in contron,
the fungus. Where it is carried
the tuber in dormant form w,,
grows as soon as the potato is n,a
ed in the spring and attacks the vo ns
shoots, it may be controlled bv
ping.
The best method OF controlIip, ).
disease on the tuber is to procure .s.
that does not show the fungus ws
is referable to seed treatment ana
clean seed is planted on clean s,s
better results will be secured ~.
can possibly be had under the hsS
system Of treating.
Corrosive SubIimate Helps cor...,
Three methods have been reco,.
mended in the past for the treatmo..
Of potatoes to control such diseases =
rhizoctonia, common scab, silver scu..
blackleg and powdery scab. Ths..
fungicides are, bluestone, formaId.
hyde and corrosive sublimate.
Bluestone is somewhat effective h,,
is not recommended in our pras...
state Of knowledge. Recent ems.
ments have shown, conclusiyely M.
formaldehyde Is less effective th,,
corrosive sublimate, and in the case !,
rhizoctonia, fo-maldenyde will not con
troll that disease. but will keen tn !,
minimum, in some cases. potato scah
Corrosive sublimate is the best fun.,,
eide to use.
When to Treat and How to Wiz I
There Is time in the histon 4 q
the tubers when more damage WON
be done IL they were treated than \
they were not treated and that periM
is any time after the tuber begins 10
sprout. 1t is necessary il most good
be received from the treatment, DO
tato tubers must Re treated before any
of the tubers sprout, otherwise mate
rial damage is liable to occur.
Corrosive sublimate must be ken
away from any kind of metal contain
er and that limits the farmer in treat
ing his potatoes to the use of eithe
wooden watts or barrels, or cemeu
treating watts. The corrosive subj
mate itself must first be dissolved
a small amount Of hot water in glal
jar or in an earthen ware crock, Il
hotter the water the quicker the c.
rosive sublimate will be dissolved.
make the solution, use four ounces
the dissolved corrosive sublimate
thirty gallons of water.
How to Treat the Potato Seed.
When solution Of corrosive sui
mate comes in contact with any XII
of organic substances such as burl
sacks or material in the soil, must
the corrosive sublimate is absorb
and there is chemical change tab
place which weakens the solution. /
obtain the best treatment it is necs
sary to remove the dirt on the tuber
The less dirt there is left on the b
bers the more effective will be Il
treatment.
ash the potatoes free from dt
and cover them with burlap or som
other thick covering SO that the pot
toes will be kept wet from "a to 4
hours. This is done SO the dorman
fungus Tor dirt that will not wash OIL
will begin to grow, making 1t NOR
susceptible to the poison.
Next soak the potatoes in a coru
sive sublimate solution from one Il
one and one-half hours, taking then
out at once and drying as soon as poo
sible. Whenever possible the open vi
should be used in treating to proven!
weakening the solution, for the burlip
sacks absorbs some of the poison
Special treating watts may be M0
or Stat boxes holding about one bshA
be used and these boxes SO built thai
they are set into the treating vats
This method is largely used among tn
growers of Wisconsin and Minnesot
where they are building cement trea'
! ing watts.
When solution of corrosive SUBJ
mate Is first made it contains 81 pc
cent corrosive sublimate; after Tn
iirst treatment the strength is lowere
somewhere in the neighborhood Oh
per cent corrosive sublimate, an
when the process is kept up for tweiv
times there is only IL per cent
ihe poison left. For this reason II
recommended that for every eiel
! bushels of potatoes treated the trea
Ing solution be brought up to It's OH
inal volume and then one ounce
corrosive sublimate added. After u
solution has been used six or seve
times 1t should be entirely discarde
and new solution made,