The Hope pioneer., 1922-06-08
CARE IN CUL LT|VATI0N AND GRADING
INSURES BETTER 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
diseases are here briefly summarized.
Practice rotation.
Plant only sound seed.
Treat the seed before planting. This
treatment consists in cutting off about
one-half inch Of the stem end to elimi-
nate any possible diseases often found
there. If dark brown ring appears at
the half-inch depth discard the potato
for seed. The potatoes are then soak.
ed In solution of corrosive sublimate
(btchlorid eof mercury 11A to 2
hours. This solution is made by dis.
solving 4 ounces Of corrosive sublimate
In gallon Of warm water and then
adding this to 20 gallons of water so
as to make total Of 30 gallons. This
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 so
that it will not endanger children or
! livestock. AS it corrodes metal, wood.
en- vessels should be used. This treat.
ment when properly used will control
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 1-2 bushels per acre or
70 per cent by this method.
Another solution which may be used
for the common scab is made up of one
pint of formaldehyde to 30 gallons of
water In which the potatoes are soak
ed 2 hours. This is not as desirable
as the corrosive sublimate treatment as
1T does not control the Rhizoctonia
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 pounds of copper sulphat@
1 \OAoS SSoAAC/ Ill 81 S1llUuS vi wafer,
and by Stacking pounds of quick lime
and adding 25 gallons of water, strain
Ing this through a 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 inches
high.
AS it 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 as
to the water.
The potato bug can be controlled by
spraying with arsenate of lead or cal.
cium arsenate-3 pounds of the paste
or l IL pounds of the powder to so
gallons Of water or mixture, or paris
green, IL to pound to so gallons of
water or mixture. The arsenate of
lead adheres to the leaves longer than
does the paris green.
The best storage place for seed DO.
tatces is we'll ventilated cellar kept
at or near 80 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit,
As soon Us mothers have learned to