POTATO BLIGHT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 181, 20 April 1918, Page 10

POTATO BLIGHT

From reports coming to hand it appears Hint the potato blight lias wrought Lavoc in most of the crops this season, says tho Christchui'ch "Press." In tho milesmere district little sign of the blight was to be seen up to above five wteks ago, and the indications were that tho jiotato crop would be particularly good. The drizzling rains, fog, and humid conditions since then have 110 doubt been the cause of the rapid spreading of the Wight. Farmers on examining their crops now find that in very many cafes fully sixty per cent, of the tubers are more or less affected. " A week ago a farmer brought in a load of potatoes to one of tho centres in the Canterbury district for dispatch by rail. They vera carefully examined by a merchant before being consigned, and were found ■to be bo badly affected with blight that tho farmer took them home again. A splendid crop was grown on tho Leoston Soldiers Settlement by a, returned soldier, tho area being well up towards SO acres. Several wofiks ago passersby could not help noticing that a very (strong smell came from the potato padtloek. The taps quickly went almost black and died off, and it is feared that the , crop, or at least portion of it, has been almost ruined. It is a rather remarkable fact that the blight eeems to lave attacked the crop 3 badly just at the ripening stage.