HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
73
Growing Good Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest
Some Ideas on the Homely “ Spud” by Men Who Know Whereof They Write.
Pest Is Serious.
«>
The seriousness o f this pest is in
In this, the fifth o f a series 3> creased by the fact that in many parts
of anieles on potato growing, <$> o f the country it (as well as the east
«•> diseases affectin g potatoes in G> ern species) is known to assist uninten
th e . Northwest are discussed in <§> tionally in the distribution o f the
interesting style.
"
<§> fungous disease o f the potato known as
<§>
early blight. The fungous enters the
<e> Q> -$> <$> -$* <§
■$> $> <§> *$>
*$>
<$> tissues of the leaf through the exposed
eaten edges o f the feeding punctures
By O. M. MORRIS, Horticulturist; J. G. and spreads from them throughout the
H A L L , Plant Pathologist, and M. A.
leaf.
YO TH ERS, Asst. Entomologist,
The eggs o f the western species are
at Washington Experiment
unknown, and those o f the eastern
Station.
species have been found only a few
<§>
H E SPECIES o f flea-beetle most
abundant in this state, ami in the
whole Northwest, in fact, is a d if
ferent species from those commonly
found in the middle and eastern states.
Its habits and the nature o f the damage
it does are much the same as those o f
the eastern species. Our species is
known as “ The Western Potato Flea
B eetle.” The larva, pupa and adult are
shown in (Fig. 1).
T
times. They are laid singly in the
ground iu the latter part of June and
the first, part o f July.
The larvae,
small, white and thread like, re found
in the ground feeding on the potato
stems and tubers. Where at all abun
dant these ltrva e give the potatoes a
pimply appearance, which may serious
ly affect their sale as choice potatoes.
The larvae grow to their full size,
pupate in the soil and then transform
Fig. 3.— Larva and adult o f a w ire
(A fte r Forbes, Illinois.)
a.
Enlarged.
(A fte r Ore. Ag. Exp. Sta.)
During the season o f 1913 this was
©Tie o f the most serious potato pests we
bad. I t was especially abundant in
Eastern Washington, where in many
places it so hindered the growth o f the
potato vines that the potato crop was
m aterially lessened. During the month
o f August it was no uncommon thing
to see the potato leaves almost com
pletely covered on the under side with
these small brown beetles. The adult
beetles are very small, about the size
©f the head of a pin only more elon
gated, and are o f a brownish black
color.
They get their name “ Flea
B eetles” from their ability to jump
very quicklky when disturbed. The
character o f their work is shown in
(Fig. 2). They eat almost always i f not
to adult beetles. Th^re are two genera
tions during the season. The past sum
mer they were most abundant during
August. The adult beetles o f the fall
generation pass the winter as adults,
and attack th j potatoes in the spring,
Treatment Is Advised.
The mbst e ffe c tiv e 'roatment for this
pest is to spray the plants with Bor
deaux, at intervals o f about two weeks,
as long as the beetles are present. The
Bordeaux serves merely as a repcllant.
Although the beetles work on the under
surface o f the leaves only, it is possible
to poison them with an arsenical, such
as arsenate o f lead, applied to the un
der surface o f the leaves. Bordeaux ap
plied to the under surface o f the leaves
as well as to the upper surface is more
effec tiv e thpn when applied from above
only. Spraying machines are to be had
that are adapted for this kind o f spray
ing, but with a little ingenuity any
sprayer can be so adjusted that it will
spray both the under and upper sur
face« o f the leaves at the same time.
Such a machine not only places the
poison in the only place in which it
can be e ffective, but also increases the
efficiency o f the Bordeaux repellant by
placing it on both surfaces o f the leaves
at once.
W ire Worms.
Wire worms are primarily known as
grass infesting insects and do their
greatest damage to the grains and
grasses, including corn, but they are
not averse to feeding upon the potato
tubers when they happen upon them in
the ground, and often do considerable
damage by boring holea through them.
They are usually found in low grass
land or land one or two years removed
from the sod, but are often found in
land more or lea* cultivated.
T ig. 2.— Potato leaf ghowiag charac
teristic flea beetle injury. (After Jo-
l M—
Maine Exp. Sta.)
entirely from the nnder tide of the
leaves and do not feed clear through,
but leave a thin, transparent membrane
on the uppor anrface in many cases.
The leave«, after b*ing fed open, have
the appearance of having been ebot
M l of fine
varying from one-fourth to one inch in
length.
Methods o f Control.
W ire worms are among the most d if
ficult insects to control.
The best
remedy so far devised is fall plowing
to destroy the over wintering pupae in
their cells in the ground. Repeated each
fall for two or three years, this pro
cedure will work out most i f not all
o f the wire worms from the soil. Owing
to tho fact that all o f the larvae do
not develop to maturity in the same
season, this prolonged treatment is
necessary in order to remove those
pupae requiring two or three years to
develop.
Salty fertilizers, such as K ain it or
nitrate o f soda have been used with
good results. These salts act as repel
lants.
Poison bait, such as green a lfa lfa
poisoned with strychnine, placed under
stones and boards n the gardens have
killed many o f them. Poisoned slices o f
f>otato or carrots are also good baits.
Crop rotation is valuable in working
the larvae out o f the land. Clover
should follow the grass, corn or some
other cultivated crop follow the clover
and then potatoes. Or potatoes may fo l
low two years o f clover or alfalfa.
worm.
Enlarged about four times.
DEACONS NOT “ DRY” ON
EASTERN SHORE
B A LT IM O R E , M<1., M ay 23.— Dur»
ing a hearing before the public service
commission, it developed that, unless he
be a druggist, the only way a resident
o f tho “ d r y ” Eastern shore can ob
tain liquor is to become a church o f
ficer.
The hearing was held on the protest
against the increased rate on liquor put
into e ffe c t by the Tolchester Steamboat
Company. Capt. Kliason, president o f
the company, admitted that he was do
ing everything he could to discourage
the shipment o f liquor by his line.
Under tho new law, liquor can be
shipped ouly to druggists, for medicinal
purposes, and to churches, for sacra
mental purposes.
In his argument Attorney Chapman
for the Tolchester Company said:
“ I f a gallon o f liquor or six dozen
bottles o f beer were shipped to a
church and a man called for it and said
ho was deacon o f the church, how was
the agent at the wharf to know whether
the caller was telling the tr u th !”
(P aid Advertisement.)
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OF TODAY
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W H ER E RIVER, R A IL A N D OCEAN
MEET.
For Astoria, Warrenton, Flavel or
New Astoria Property, call on or w rit«
to A. R. CYRUS, 386 Commercial St*
Astoria, Oregon.
We will sell you
HIGHGRADES-iREGISTERED COWS
sn<l loan you the money to buy tbem with.
M O K E L C O W CO .
607 Commercial Block, Portland, Ore.
it costs
25c per lb.
At Yoor Grocer
Employment Agency
Pans and Dairy Help Famished Free.
Wire Bush Orders at Our Expense.
Oregon Employment Agency
Crescent M fg Co.
3* Rerond Street, North.
Portland, Ore.
Seattle, Wn.
The wire worms are slender, white or
yellowish grubs (Fig. 3) from one half
to one and one-half inches long and
about one eighth of an inch across.
Some specimens are much smaller, how
National Stamp A
ever, and some larger. They are some
Seal Work*
what flat and have smooth polished
RUBBER «T E E L
•kins more or less like shells. They
have six short legs just back of the
■ r^ r j uttl
STAMPS
head and a sucker like foot on the last
i'lllll) IK t
•M a c»«, M a
segment or joint of the body. Some
O H P i j i i l » j C J
B ad««« and
kinds develop into pupae in the fall w i r i i H f l y
Trade Cbocks.
and reach maturity the next summer;
8
others require two or three years to Brass Signs. Box Printing. Plates and Burn
ing
Brands.
Numbering
Machine
complete their transformation.
The
Exports.
adult of the wire worm in the common
d ic k ” or napping beetle, as shown
in (Fig. t ). Then are maay kind*
rroit tamps
VACUUM
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»
From (4.00 op— Agent* Wanted.
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14tti and Washington Street*.
Portland, Oregon.
Only Vacuum Cleaner Store ia Oregon
G O PH ER
K IB A S
chemical «* am pound that
death to gophers and moles.
safe -tad easy to ass. Bettor
canto tt gets r « of them ail
91 M. Mrnoy order.
carries certain
Not a p o iie ^
than traps ba>
at one«. Prion
THE «B E E * CHEMICAL COMPAET,