HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Diseases of Potatoes
By H. L. Sees, Plant Pathologist of the State College of Wash
ington. READ EVERY WORD!!
rrE disease known as black leg was
apparently rather prevalent last
year in Western Washington, as it
fa also in the East. This disease is quite
serious at times and apparently came
to this country from Europe.
Symptoms This disease is character
ised by the black, shriveled condition of
the stem from the seed piece to as much
as several inches above the ground in
some cases. This is accompanied by
wilting and dying of the tops, usually
lather early in the season. The tubers
Attached to the affected stems are
usually rotted at the stem end if tho
stem is attacked before the tubers are
formed.
Cause This disease is caused by bac
teria and in Maine where it has been
studied it does not live over in the soil.
Whether the climanc conditions in
Western Washington make this possible
is not known. It does not spread from
one plant to another and the only meth
od by which it is known to be spread is
by planting diseased tubers.
' Spraying Is of No Value.
Control and Prevention Spraying is
of no valne at any time. Since it is only
known to spread by planting diseased
seed, and since it does not spread from
hill to hill, only the plants from dis
eased seed will bo affected. To abso
lutely control this diseaso plant only
dean seed. The method for determining
this is as fellows: In cutting tubers al
ways make the first cut through the
tern end directly through the stem. If
any dark, discolored aroas show any
place in the tuber, especially at the
stem end, no matter how slight, discard
it Extra knives and a jar of 4 or 5
per cent formaldehyde solution should
be provided and if by chanco a diseased
tnbor is cut. put the knife into the
formaldehyde solution and use another
knife for the next potato cut. The
seed should not be cut until immedi
ately before planting and should not be
allowed to stand around in the field
for any length of time.
Silver Scurf Disease.
A new disease of potatoes which was
brought to the writer's attention last
tall by Dr. Wollenwcber of the IT. S.
Department of Agriculture is the silver
eurf disease of potato, known in
Surope since 1871, but only in the Unit
ad States for a short time. This disease,
though little known, is apparently be
coming widespread in the States and
ertainly gives indications of shortly af
fecting nearly the whole of tho potato
crop. This has never been reported be
fore from Washington nor, to the writ
er's knowledge, from the Pacific Coast,
mod seems to be a new disease to this
region. However, its presence in Wash
ington and the circuautances connected
with it indicate that it has been pres
ent here for several years. A disfigura
tion and an abnormal shrinkage causes
the losses sustained as a result of the
attack of the silver scurf.
Only Affects the Tubers.
Symptoms This disease doeB not af
fect the vines, only the tubers. In the
early stage of infection under moist
conditions dark green or almost black
spots appear on the surface of the tuber.
Later these spots nay enlarge and
cover the whole surfsee of the potato.
When dug tho affected areas may be
circular spots or many may have
Coalesced, forming one large one, and,
ns stated, may cover the whole tuber.
The affoeted areas are spotted with
fine black points, and may bo dis
colored. At this time a silvery sheen or
glistening appearance is apparent and
by those two latter characteristics the
disease can be easily recognized. As the
skin of tho tuber in case of severe in-
fetcions usually the whole tuber will be-
!omo shrunken and shriveled. Some va
rieties are badly discolored such as the
Leo, Gold Coin, Superlative, others show
medium or slight discoloration such as
Early Bird, Puritan, Early Acme, Early
Kockford and Irish Cobbler.
Cause This disease is caused by a
parasitic fungus capable of infecting
the tuber at any point. Whether this
disease, lives over in the soil; how it
affects germination, and other questions
arising are still open and not settled.
Concerning the Fungus.
Control and Prevention One thing is
known concerning this fungus, however,
and that is that the fngus which lives
over in the tubers in the sclerotia is
not killed by seed treatment. For the
presont then a careful examination
should be made and no affected tuber
used for seed. Although at present this
disease does not seem o be very preva
lent this is probably bp cause it lias not
yet been refogniswd by tho growers. Be
cause of its possible seriousness careful
and painstaking selection is urged.
Out of 76 varieties grown on the
Western Washington Experiment Sta
tion farm in 1913, 50-60 per cent were
more or less affected, some seriously.
The seed of these varieties were all
treated for scab and that the prevalence
of the silver scurf disease was not due
to ineffective or improper treatment is
shown by the absence of potato scab
on the tubers dug at the end of the
season. Part, of the seed which pro
duced affected potatoes was obtained
from the East and part was obtained
from strains which had been grown on
the station farm for Beveral years. This
further indicates the necessity for plant
ing only clean seed.
The Potato Starch Question
Should Be Ful Investigated as It Is Believed the Industry
Would Prove Profitable.
THE value of the potato for manu
facturing purposes, particularly for
the production of starch and glu
eose, is one that should be fully investi
gated, as it is believed such aa industry
would not only be profitable in itself
nder Northwestern conditions, but
would offer a most valuable outlet for
the culls, which are now largely wasted
by tho Oregon and Washington farmer,
nd, even more important, would in
tnre a steadier market for the crop
ach year, regardless of fluctuations in
iupply and demand for table consump
tion. In other words, to those favorable
Masons when a very heavy crop was
produced and the market price was low,
or in the seasons when a large portion
of the potatoes were culls or not stiffi
nimit.lv matured to sell well for tabic
use, the starch factory would furnish
a profitable outlet for the crop, un
the other hand, growers who do not
am to meet 'he reouiremontB for pro
ducing marketable table potatoes, could
;sn the later maturing and heavier
yielding varieties sololy for sale to the
etarch factory. Even more important
than this, would be the fact that potato
rowing sections of Oreson and Wash
ington which are now distant .'rem the
market and must oar a heavy trans
portation charge on their shipments,
eould convert all bat the very choicest
of their crop into starch in local green
starch factories, shipping the green
starch to a central refinery, thus re
dueing transportation charges on the
crop as well as securing a profit from
the culls.
The starch used in the Northwest, all
of which is shipped in from the cen
tral states and thus is a tax npon the
consumer, might with profit both to
the manufacturer and the fnrmer, be
produced here in Oregon and "Vashing-
ton. The Northwest market alono would
moro than consume nil of the starch
that a large factory, with its tributary
croon starch plants, could produce. Ex
perts have estimated that such a lac-
tory hero could carry on a profit
able business and pay the farmer 50
cents a hundred for all of the potatoes
he could produce. This price would give
the farmer nn excelleut profit on all of
his cull potatoes and a very good profit
upon the entire crop if raised for starch
manufacture alone. It would also in
sure a more stablo market for table po
tatoes, as well as a higher grado of the
same, thus increasing tho shipments to
other states. Further, such an industry
would bring a superior starch to the
consumer, as potato starch is of much
higher food value, because of its groater
digestibility, than the corn starch now
used.
Mr. Rancher!
Mr. Merchant!
Mr. Cattle Man!
Mr. Hop Grower!
Mr. Fruit Grower!
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A iL.. ACl mrrl. in Q hnnrft. There S
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m 'ill
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