Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-03-25
Seed Treatment Insures Success of
Potato Crop.

AS Ii is nearing the season 10 Ds-
gin to think oil planting crops, the
farm bureaus over the various coun-
ties feels that farmers should ex-
ercise more than usual care this
year in selecting and treating their
potatoe seed in order TO reduce the
amount of disease to as low a point
as possible. One project leader says
that they should be very careful OF
heir choice of seed stock, as the seed
is the greatest factor in profitable
potato growing, he says IT does not
pay to plant any but good seed as
the difference in seed has made a
difference in yield of as much as l50
sacks an acre.
The only sure way to know that
you are getting good seed is to have
seen or had some one else view the
field before THE vines died last fail
SO as TO have detected whether there
were diseased hills in the field,
The next best is to buy from re-
liable dealer or grower who has
seen the potatoes before digging.
Even if you think you have seed
that Is absolutely free from disease
believe it will pay you to treat 1t
with corrosive sublimate solution.
The use of corrosive sublimate as a
preventive of blacbleg black scuf,
dry rot or wilt and scab has Melted
growers an average of 10 bushels an
acre more than they obtained when
using untreated seed Seed treat
ment is simple and relatively mex
pensive when the gain is considered.
No costly equipment is necessary
and the time required is not an i'm
portant factor.
1.-THE most commonly recommend
ed treatment fer seed potatoes IS
corrosive sublimate (mIercuric chlo-
ride) in water, at the strength OF
four ounces of corrosive sublimate
to 80 gallons of water. The tubers
should remain in the solution 10
minutes. Dissolve the corrosive
sublimate in an earthen receptacle
with hot water before placing the
material in cold water. In TINS
work use only earthen or wooden re-
ceptacles as the treating material ls
corrosive to metals. Corrosive sub
Innate is poisonous to all animals;
hence care must be taken to pre-
vent any animals drinking the soiu-
+ion or eating the treated potatoes.
THE potatoes may be treated in bar
rels or. in case of considerable
quantity, in a tank.
The chemical is rapidly weakened
nv use. hence, if the solution is usec
second time one ounce OF dissolve
corrosive suIblimate should be adue'
to each 80 gallons of water Inc
corrosive sublimate treatment re
tards the development of the BUD
IN some extent, so, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
the fact that the treatment is usuai-
" given Just before planting, II
hest if done at least 10 days oelor
the seed is cut.
In any case, care must be e&el
cised to prevent the recontamlnatioh
Of the seed by keeping the potatoe
n clean place and handling then
IN clean baskets or sacks. 1t mus
no remembered that this treatment
kills only the spores or germs o.
scab and rhizoctonia and does no.
prevent these diseases if the potatoes
are planted in infected coil MOI
loes it prevent the fusarium wilt OF
either diseases of the interior OF the
ytem or tuber. Because OF this the
same precautions are necessary IN
growing the crop as Though the
5eed had not been treated.