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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (July 9, 1914)
13 Growing Good Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest Some Ideag on the Homely "Spud" by Men Who Know Whereof They Write. HOME AND FARM WflAZIftB SEOTtOfl la this, the tilth and last of a series of artieles on potato growing, diseaseg affecting po-3 tatoes in tie Northwest are dig- $ euased in interesting style. 4 $ By 0. M. MOEEIS, Horticulturist; J. G. HALL, Plant Pathologist, and M. A. Y0THEE8, Asst. Entomologist, at WasMBgton Experiment Staticn. TIE Colorado potato beetle has at last become established within our state. For several years this- pest has been known to occur in the Jfez Perce eountry in Idaho, the only locality in which it was known west of the Eocky Mountains. In 1910, 1911 and 1912 some few beetle were reported in dif ferent parts of Eastern Washington. During the paot stimmer (1913), they have been fomid quite commouly in many parts of Enstern Washington. In some few places they were very abund ant and destructive. The adult beetle is about the size and shape of half a pea with the round side uppermost. It is yellow in color with tho wing covers ornamented with ten longitudinal black stripes (Fig 1). The larva or immature stage is a pale red slug; soft, plump and slimy and very disgusting m appearance. The orange eolnrrd eggs aro abont. the size of the head of a pin. They aro deposited by Fig. 1. Colorado potato beetle; a, eggs; b, larvae; c, pupa; d, adult bee tle; e, wing covers of beetle enlarged, showing stripes. All natural size ex cept e. (After Walsh and Eiley.) the female on the underside of the leaves in clusters of from three or fonr to as many as a hundred. It is not uncommon to find as many as fifty or aixty eggs in a cluster. Beetles Hibernate. The beetles live over winter in the adult stage, hibernating in the gTonud. , When the potatoes eorae up in the Fpring the beetles emerge from the soil .and feed upon the young leaves and Tines. They are often seen, however, . before the potatoes nre even planted. At this timo they-fly" about and mate. After a few days they lay their eggs, ' and in about a week the eggs hatch out into tiny young plump slugs whifh gTow and develop for about three weeks, when they reach their fnll size as lar vae, They then go into the ground, ehange to pupae and in about three weeks emerrjo as adult striped beetles. They soon mate and after a few days the female lays the second crops of eggs which hatch out into a second genera tion of larvae. A single female may lay several hundred eggs. All stage of the insect may be found at almost any time luring the ntmrnor. It is not uncommon to find eggs, several differ ent sizes ol larvae and adult beetles all on the same potato vine at the same time. Most of the injury to the vines is done by the larvae, although the adult beetles also feed upon tho foliage more or less. The first brood of larvae does the most dnmago in tho eastern part of Washington, although tin secotid brood is much more numerous, mis is due to tho fact that by tho time the second brood of larvae appears in August the potato vines have died from the dry weather and the tubers have gained practically all of their growth. Thus there is little potato foliage left for tho larvae to feed upon. This is espe cially true of those early varieties of potatoes which reach maturity in July. In those district of the etnto where the vines keep fresh and green throughout the season the second brood of larvae will cause more damage thaa the first. Methods of Control. The case with which this pert is pois oned is well known to many. There are at least two poisons which, if properly sprayed on to the plants, will giva per fect results. Paris green, one pound to 100 gallons of water, is the most common spray. This spray carefully applied so that the leaves of the plants are thoroughly cov ered, should kiQ all of the larvae inside of 24 to 48 hours. Arsenate of lead, on pound to fifty gallons of water, is also an effective poison. In some ways it is superior to Pari green. It appears white on the leaves, thus serving; as a marker, show ing where the spray has been applied. It sticks- to the foliage much more te naciously and muebt longer than Pans green, and even where used much stronger than recommended it will not burn the foliage. The arsenate of lead will also stay in suspension muelk long er than Paris green and for this reason, if for no other, it js better than the latter. The Potato Tuber Motk. For several years the potato tuber moth, or potato worm, as it is also known, has been tho worst potato pest ra California, where H has don hun dreds of thousands of dollars damage annually. Ihiring the last eouple of years this pest ha been found! at sev eral places withii our state. It has been received in shipment of potatoes from other parts of the country. This is the manaer in which it will get in troduced into new territory, and every precaution should be taken to prevent .its introduction. This insect is not only (abundant in California, but is well known in Hawaii, Australia, Algeria and man? other countries, including Southern Eorope. The same species er one very much like it, is a common to baeco pest in the Southeastern states, whero it is known as the "split worm. ' The different stages in tfie fife his tory of this .nsect are shown in Fig. 2. The adult moth is about one-half inch from tip ta tip of wings, aad abont one-fourth of an rncfc i iengtu and of a grayish eolor. The female moth lays about twenty pearry wfrrte oggs upon the leaves or npoit exposed tubers in early summer, or npon the fibers- at digging time. These eggs hatch into tiny pinkish white larvae, which feed upon the leaves, stems or Fig. 2. Potato tuber moth. Larv ae on the left, cocoons in the middle and chrysalid on the right. Enlarged (After Essig, Cal.) tubers, or only upon tV tubers whei they are stored in the bins during the winter. Burrowing Through the Tubers. They burrow all through the tubers, rendering them unfit for food and use less as seed. In from four to six weeks the larvae become fnll grown, seek shel tered places, spin eocoona about them selves and transfonn into pupae. In the summer this pupal stage lasts about two weeks and tho adult moth appears again a.:d lays eggs for a second generation. Tho moths live but a few days. By late fall the larvae have developed into tho pupal stage, in which state they often remain over winter; adult moths appearing i the storage bins in late winter or early spring. The moths are night fliers, and if tho tubers are left, exposed over night when dug in the fall tho moths tako occasion to lay their eggs on them thus causing an infesta tion in the tubers in storage. The pota to tuber molh is very difficult to con trol, as it is impossible to reach the larvno in their mines in the stems and tubers in the field. This makes it nec- sRary to proceed against them by other methods, of which several should be em ployed for the best results. Other Methods. First. Only those potatoes should be used for seed that aro known to be a'o solutely free from any signs of the pest. Second. . Deep planting and hilling should be praetieed to prevent access of the moths to the tubers. Third. With this, aa with most other insect pests, one of the moat important measures of control is clean culture. All weeds ia and about the potato patches should be destroyed by burning. This practice will eliminate breeding and hi bernating places for the insects. Fourth. Potatoes mould be dug as early in the fall as possible, and not al lowed to remain in the field over night unless carefully covered, for the moths fly at night and will lay their eggs on exposed tubers. Fifth. At digging time, all tubers found infected should be pat isto a bin and fumigated. Infestation can be de tected by the presence of the excrement of the moth en the tubers. After the tubers have been carefully sorted and placed in a bin they should be thor oughly fumigated with carbon bisul phide (or bisulphide of carbon, as it is also called), in order to kill the insects present in and on the tubers. Carbon bisulphide is applied by pouring it into flat vessels, such as pie tins or milk pans. An average of three pounds should be used for each 1000 cubic feet of air space in the bin. The pans con taining the liquid should be placed on the tops of the tubers, the gas, being heavier than air, penetrates downward through the mass to the bottom. The bin should be closed tightly for twenty four hourB, then opened carefully but quickly and allowed to air for several hours before entering. If not used stronger than he.Te recommended or for a much longer time the fumigation will not injure the germinating power of the potatoes for seed. As the gaa is very inflammable, and serious fire or explos ion may result, the utmost care should be takeB that no fire, snctt aa a lighted match, eigar," electrie fan, stove, gas light or lamp should be brought into the vicinity of the gas. The gas is also very poisonous and should not be breathed on any account. Sixth. Sheep and hogs are valuable for the destruction of such remnants as are likely to be left lying about in the field after digging time and should be turned into the field when the potatoes have been removed. July Forecasts The mouth nf July was discovered by Julius Ccasnr about 700 B. C. Is fact, it wasn 't. a month. It wasn 't even a week, bnt you know March bad Ides and Jillius Oasar finally got one and after rolling the Ide around awhilo he decided to call it July, but the poor dagoes never got over feeling sore about him making so hot a month, so they assassinated Julius one time. Julius was all cut up about it, too. He didn't need to tako it so serious though, for he was warned to beware of Brutus and his hunch of spaghetti eaters, hm he continued to gobble his maearonl out of an Etruscan pie-pan and wipe his hands cn his boot tops. But, why weep over this sad event when we stand on the threshold of July and wipe our per spiring brows with a red bandana and kick the dust off our feet on the mat of Timet On July first the brindle .;hirt waist will be in full bloom and the soft heart ed young lady of tho house will seek a place to hang the hammock. The moon will quarter on the first and watermelon will be halved on the 2nd, three quar ters will look like a two-cent piece with a hole in t on the 3rd, and most all of the boys will be fnll on the Fourth, and o tlie littn tno eaianoose win spew out all that's lift over. On the 17th Senator Jones and A. WalteT Lafferty (A. Walter, did you get itl) will stsrt the fall campaign, and Bill ITanley will spit on his hands and start rustling, which no doubt will bring on heavy rains, thunder, lightning, hail, se ismic shocks and a general cataclysm in tho neighborhood of Eugene and per haps "our George" will be forced to tear tho Democratic platform all to flinders, and then eat the flinders. I'd rather bo a 'irme and work hard all my life, Than be a politician and undergo such strife. I'd ralher hive a cottge, with vines about tho door, A little land to cultivate with no hop) of getting more, Than be a politician aad straggle for a place, With the mooeher and the grafter to vex me in the race, I'd rather sit beneath the tree and Eva a life obscure, With children rolling on the grasa and happiness- seeure; I'd rather listen to the birds and their melodious1 notes, Than be a politician and have to beg for votes. Out wheat i all ripe and ready to mem, Oat tafers are ia and "Lord" how thejr grofW. Our apples are green and turning to red, Our hay is all cut and stacked in wa shed, ' Our peaches' aad pears are ripening yol see, ; The ehieken and turkeys are fat at can be, The farmer rides his auto with money in the bank,. There's not another thing to do exeepi the "Lord' to thank. On the fifteenth Dr. Littlefield will announce the formula so that all yon horny-handed sons of the soil can go out and grow a full sized crab for breakfast while you are milking the eows and greasing the sore shoulder of the mules, but it weuld do us a darn sight more good if he'd show us how to make a cew we eould milk with a faucet He'd be doing a good turn for the ebicken-eaiing sons of men if he'd make a chickea without a neck and a meatless lack. Say, Dr. LittlefieH, why act make us a hairless hog aad grow us. a monkey-wrench to grind tke organ and also do to tune np ths mowerf I hate to spoil this enlightenisg epistle, but my duties to the readers of the. Farm aad Home Magazine Section compel ne t tell you that there may never be another July. A flat-nosed astronomer down at Lick observatory will announce the diseovcry of a new comet about the 12th, with a swallow tail and a crop off the right ear, which is headed in this direction and will strike the earth about July 20th and knock us into smithereens, provided, Mt. Lassen hasB't already sent ua to perdition. I do hope they will put it off until after tke 1'otlatek, for I promised IB Gill to meet him to the leeward of the Great Totem Tolo on tho 17th. Let as put our house in order and pay np our subscription to this paper so we can look the comet squarely in the eye and tell it to go to , oh well, what's the use. ' NOTBCB. iOBACCO HABIT CUBED, i Argenite is a new preparation gusar auteed to stop Cigarettes or other forms of the tobacco habit. It is a preparation of silver nitrite and an tiseptic, soothing iugredients in scien tific combination. Silver nitrite has been used very successfully by the Ore gon State Industrial School and by juv enile courts. This preparation has been rendered more pleasant as well as more efficacious by the addition of eertain harmless yet potent, ingredients sug gested by aa eminent Portland physi cian. Send SO cents to Argenite Com pany, 451 1-2 Morrison street, Portland, Oregon, and full treatment will be mailed. QuitCigarettes-Argenite The Silver Nitrat nrpnarntimi fiw all forms of tobacco habit. An improvement on (hat used at Industrial Schools and Jnvetiil Cuurtg. At your druggist, or seud 50a u full treatment. Postpaid. ARGENTINE CO., DEPT. P. 461Vi Monisou Street, Portland, Oregon. EARN CHIROPRACTIC A science that acts Ida needs of every ane wh la tick. MEN end WOMEN ire fiurcetul prac titionere. Enter a profession that makes you inde- i pernlcnt, nd bnnppi yon many. e have the best cwise. Clan now farming. WRIUFWCMU06. 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