| Show SERIOUS FUNGUS DISEASE OF EUROPEAN POTATOES POTATOE S known us as black and every effort Efi rort should le be made to prevent its development in this country during the past thirteen years a serious fungus disease of potatoes has spread throughout european countries it was first recorded from hungry hungary 1 in 1896 and appeared in england in ili 1801 1901 and Is known as the black scab warty disease and potato cn cenker inker during the years that have clasped since the disease first became known it has spread into ireland scotland england scandinavia germany france italy and newfoundland and Is prevalent over tile the greater part of europe it was not known on tile the american continent until it appeared in Newfound aind in 1909 the tha extraordinary virulence of the disease and an the rapidity with which it has spread make it necessary to warn all potato growers to be on the lookout for this disease where allowed to establish itself it renders the cultivation of potatoes extremely difficult as aa they cannot be raised on that thai ground for a period of at least six years therefore stringent preventive prevent ive measures should bo be used to keep keel this disease out of the united states by the terms of the destructive insect and pests order of 1008 in I 1 england ng land scotland and wales persons persona concealing this dis paso pase are liable to prosecution and a heavy penalty it is believed that the disease Is likely to be introduced into the united states at any time in order that the disease may be recognized arld and promptly reported it Is fully described by 11 T gussow in a abul bulletin of the central experimental farm of canada and by W A orton of the united states bureau of plant that ot of a pea the gray surface ot of the swollen eye eya Is blotted over with golden yellow rings as seen with a pocket lens some tubers abero will be found when the crop 1 la harvested with more or less than one half of 0 them covered by these warty excrescences which in some instances are larger than the tuber itself this warty growth consists of a coral like mass or more or less scaly ex crescen ces similar in appearance to the w voil ell known crown crow n or root gall of ap ples plea the warts are of a somewhat lighter color at the base and dotted I 1 disease attacking eyes eye with minute rusty brown spots ove the surface in advanced stages the th tubers ore are wholly covered cohered w with ith this growth and have lost every se Bemb lanct to potatoes A still more advanced stage occur when the fungus has utilized ever even particle of food stored in the potato and has reduced it to a brownish black soft mass giving oft off a very un pleasant putrid odor this Is most dangerous stage of the disease as tubers which have rea reached hed it can not be harvested whole they break breah in pieces and thus the brownish pulp I 1 potato plant attacked by wart disease industry duttry In in a circular recently issued when the disease Is prevalent no healthy tubers will develop when lifted they will show various degrees of injury the first indication ot of the disease may be noticed around the eyes of 0 the potato which show an abnormal development of the dormant abbot in this condition the disease tuber covered with disease Dl tease Is liable to escape detection arid and thus be spread by the use of infected tubers as seed in the earlier stages of the disease the tha eye will be found slightly protruding in the form of a single or compound group of small nodules varying from the lizt of a pin head to mass consisting entirely of the spores of the lingua fungus and remains of the cell walls of tho the potatoes to la broken up and the land Is IB badly infected tor for years the disease la Is often so BO prevalent as to destroy the entire crop diseased tubers are not fit for seed and should be either cestr destroyed 0 by burning or boiled and led fed to pigs and as the tops also may be diseased they should be gathered and burned infected soil will tor for years produce unsound crops and the disease aisea so ran may y be carried to uninfected areas by sol soil adhering to the boots of the workmen to farm carts and to implements under no circumstances should un boiled or decayed potatoes be used at food for stock not only because the feeding value la ill reduced but mainly because the iporen are capable ol 01 germination after passing through we th body of the animal never use seed potatoes from a dis eased crop if the seed Is suspected the sets should be powdered with su sul chur and stored in boxes until planted four or five pounds of sulphur la Is dent to treat one ton of potatoes |
