Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 29, 1914)
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION 8 No Perfect Potato Seed in U.S. Standard Strains of Potatoes Rapidly Deteriorating What Must Be Done. Of vital interest to potato grow- era in the Northwest ll the informa- tion thai in tha entira United State. ': ther. ara no potatoes entirely free from disease or insect pasta. What i. ? to be dona in combatting these evils $ ia described in tha following article 'i by C. J. Mcintosh, news editor for tha Oregon Agricultural College. !? !$'$'$'3)S (Special to tha Farm Magazine.) THAT there are no potatoes grown In the entire United States . wholly free from Insect and disease pests, and that the race of f puds throughout America is rapidly deteriorating, were two facts of vast importance brought out at the emer ' gency potato convention recently held in Stockton, California. It was claimed in this connection that some of the great and standard strains, nuch as the Burbank in the West and the Early Rose in the East, are showing unmistakable signs of deter ioration. Treatment by formalin and other fungicides has proven of much prac tical use in the effort to secure disease-free potatoes. ' For some of the diseases it has proven to be a per fect control, but for others it Is not of the slightest value. Taken all in all the main dependence for grow ing potatoes that are free from all these pests is to be put In the devel opment of resistant strains, 'supple mented by proper cultural methods. Special Investigation. A special investigation of the potato-disease question is being made by the department of Plant Path ology. It was in connection with these Investigations that Professor Bailey made the trip to Stockton with the party of potato experts from the United States Department of Agriculture and from different parts of Europe. For this potato disease condition Is not confined to this country, but has grown to be one of the serious production prob lems in some of the leading potato countries of the Old World. It is expected that valuable Information will be secured in the Investigations carried on by the Agricultural Col lege staff of experts, and that much useful knowledge will soon reach the growers through their efforts. To Moot Expense. When asked how growers are ex pected to make good on the in creased cost of producing potatoes for seed that are free from' pests and of good quality otherwise, Pro fessor F. D. Bailey, research assist ant In plant pathology at the Agri cultural College, replied that there are two or three ways in which they will be recompensed for their addi tional trouble and expense. In the first place, California growers offer a bonus on clean, well grown and properly inspected seed. While the amount of this bonus was not stated, and perhaps cannot be definitely known until determined by actual i experience, it will surely be enough to cover cost of inspection, and to pay for the extra work in caring for the crop during its growth and after it is harvested. Extra effort and expense will also be rewarded ill increased production and more salable potatoes. The system of ro tation by which alone disease-free potatoes can be economically grown should also prove of real value in the general farming system. Inspection Necessary. In view of the rather startling announcement that disease and insect-free potatoes of desirable var ieties and type are not produced within the United States and that Immense quantities of such are de sired for seed in many sections of the country, competition may be de pended upon quite largely to ad vance the price ot potatoes that meet all these requirements. It will be necessary in all cases, however, to have the product Inspected by com petent authorities who certify to the quality of the product if It is to secure the bonus offered by potato men. This inspection need not be ery burdensome If generally prac ticed, and In certain sections ot the United States the work Is performed by experts at an expense of not to exceed one cent a sack, according to. Professor Bailey. Northern Seed Best, One feature of the situation that Is perhaps not generally known, is that seed potatoes even for southern use should be northern grown. Some of the most successful growers in Southern California get northern grown seed as free from pests of ail kinds as possible and multiply this seed for general planting the next year by growing an intermediary crop on a convenient hill location near the large delta fields. Mr. Shlma, the millionaire -Japanese po tato grower of the California Delta region, has quite successfully prac ticed this method of securing desir able seed for several years. The fungous diseases that later attack the plants grown in the low, rich plains affect the first crop but lit tle the first year. After that, how ever, it is necessary to secure a fresh supply of seed or infection sets in badly. In this production, Oregon should have a large and important part that would at the same time greatly stimulate the industry in our own state. Some of the things that would go far toward freeing the Oregon crop from the objectionable features are field selection of seed and Its treatment with a good fungicide, the rotation of the potato fields with crops that are non-hosts for the po tato diseases, and a rigid inspection of all seed bought and sold. Select From Hill. In order to select the best home grown seed the condition of the tops of the plant and of the ground in which the crop was grown are mat ters of importance that can be at tended to only by field selection. If selection is made originally from the bin, good looking specimens ot de sired type may be selected, and yet they may have shown serious infec tion in the plant On the other hand, those seed potatoes that are selected in the hill and then exam ined carefully after being cleaned, will be almost certain to show symp toms of pests of any important kind, if such pests are present But even though the seed shows no indications of disease or insect pests it Is best to make assurance doubly sure by giving every bit of it used as seed the standard fungi cide treatment Some of the disease spores are very small and yet ex tremely tenacious of life, and might be brought Into contact with the seed while it was stored. Hence the need of the treatment. Remove Culls. In selecting the field it Is not enough that it was not planted to potatoes the proceeding year. It ti lndispensible to success that the colli of the last crop were removed of made non-vital, since otherwise they may have, carried the spores of thaj worst diseases over Into the ground where they will Infect the new crop Where plenty of potato land Is osj the farm, It might be best to plant 1 potatoes on the same field not oJ tener than every third year. I fected ground Is as fruitful a sonrcf of Infection as Infected seed, and both must be entirely tree from that disease It the potatoes are disease free. And It Is only potatoes that si disease-free and ot desirable tyyt and variety, that tinder the rules of the Western Potato Growers' Asst elation are entitled to the bonus. I) II l 1 Bait Third anS rnncess Hotel Portland, Orefoa. ' Rats 50a, T5a. II and flM pal $2.50 per week; wittt batk, 13.50 and All outside room. Under Personal Snperrision of Own era, v THE HOUSE Of WKLOOMl HI I MILITARY I LL ACADEM A Salad Moo-Sectarian Boarding and Daw School for Boys. Military DiAdpttne; Stud Classes; Men Teaebera. Careful snparvtitaal secures result, that ara not attained tJs where. Send for catalog. 821 Marshall BUeet, Portland. Oregosv af; t&m j -At v fcte -S Malt Rainier is the Pure Malt Tonic For Mothers Who Require Additional Nourishment and Strength. ABK Y0T7B PHT3ICIAK For dial by All Druggists E3