The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1922-09-07
CARE IN CUL T|vAT|0N AND GRADING
|NSURES BETTER POTATO PRICES

:R POTATO PRICES
The diseases most liable to give
trouble in North Dakota are fusrIum
wilt, blackleg, Rhizoctonia and early
blight.
Treating Potato Diseases.
Various methods Of eradicating these
aissas2s are here briefly summarized
Practice rotation.
| Plant only sound seed. "r' s. -
Treat the seed before planting. Thi,
treatment consists in cutting off about
one-half inch Of the stem end to elimt
nate any possible diseases often found
there. If dark brown ring appears al
the half-inch depth discard the potato
for seed. The potatoes are then soak.
ed In solution Of corrosive sublimata
(b1chlorid eof mercury IN to 4
hours. This solution is made by dis
solving 4 ounces Of corrosive sublimata
In gallon Of warm water and then
adding this to 20 gallons of water "a
as to make total Of 80 gallons. Thu
Is extremely poisonous, therefore great
care should be taken with the material
Itself and the solution as well as with
the potatoes after they are treated %
that 1t will not endanger children o,
livestock. As it corrodes metal, wood.
en- vessels should be used. This treat
ment when properly used will contro,
scab, Rhizoctonia and blackleg and
other diseases that may be on the sur
face of the potato. The diseases that
live inside the tuber as brown rot and
wilt can be controlled only by select.
ing tubers for seed that show no evi.
dence. of these diseases. On thirty.
seven farms in eastern North Dakota
in 1918 the yield was increased on an
average of 10 10 bushels per acre O,
~ per cent by this method.
Another solution which may be used
for the common scab is made sup of one
pint Of formaldehyde to 80 gallons OF
water In which the potatoes are soak.
ed < hours This is not as desirable
as the corrosive sublimate treatment as
1t does not control the Rhizoctonio
disease.
Many farmers, by treating their seed
potatoes in this way, have been able to
increase the yields from 25 to 100 per
cent. The, treatment may be given
either before or after cutting the pota.
toes preparatory to planting. Treat.
ment after cutting is most apt to prop.
erly control the rot diseases If treated
after cutting, they should be planted
Immediately as there is danger of heat.
Ing which may destroy termination,
Care should be taken to prevent rein,
lection after the seed has been treated,
The diseased vines found in the seed
plot should be pulled up and burned
and the tubers of the hill dug and de.
stroyed in order to eliminate these DO.
tatoes from the next years seed.
Controlling Early Blight.
To control early blight, spray with
Bordeaux mixture. This is made BY
dissolving S pounds of copper sulphate
(blue stone) in 25 gallons Of water,
and by Stacking 5 pounds Of quick lime
and adding rs gallons of water, strain
Ing this through screen that will re.
move all Jumps large enough to clog
the pump, and then thoroughly mix the
two solutions. Apply with high pres.
sure sprayer every ten days from the
time the vines are six or eight inchos
high.
AS 1t will be necessary to spray for
potato bugs, the spraying for disease
can be done at the same time. The
poison for the bugs can be added to
the Bordeaux mixture just the same a,
to the water. ~
The potato bug can be controlled By
spraying with arsenate Of lead or cal.
clum arsenate-3 pounds of the paste
or l LIZ pounds Of the powder to 50
gallons Of water or mixture, or paris
green, 10 to pound to so gallons Of
water or mixture. The arsenats Of
lead adheres to the leaves longer than
Goes the paris green.
The best storage place for seed DO
tatoes H. "A we'll ventilated cellar kant
at OK near 80 to "a degrees Fahrenhait
AZ soon az mothers have learned IN