Important to Potato Growers

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 246, 9 February 1906, Page 2

Important to Potato Growers

Tho following extract from the n New Zealand Times” should be carefully read by all growers of potaI toes: — ' “In regard to certain complaints 1 from country settlers that the Bordeaux mixture for the treatment of the potato blight had in some cases failed to serve its purpose, the Government Biologist, Mr T. W. Kirk, questioned on the subject, remarked: “In all cases that 1 have investigated—and we frequently have specimens forwarded to us—examination has shown that the spray has either improperly made or not applied to tho underside !of the leaf. Tbe leaflets and pamph- ' lets issued by the Department specially | point out that tho spray must be used i on the uuder-side, for the disease is ' chiefly developed there. There is no 1 difficulty whatever in spraying tbe I underside, as nozzles are made specially for this purpose. If a man can’t obtain a side-delivery nozzle, he can , easily get a small elbow made on the direct of his pump. It is perfectly true that in some districts they have had such continuous wet weather as to discount considerably effects of Bordeaux mixture, but that in no way indicates that the mixture is not efficacious in anything like ordinary conditions if it is properly made and properly applied. A? for applying it to the upper portion of the loaf that is •ffectod, they might just as well for instance, try to wet me by pouring ' water on the top of my umbrella. Io I cases where there has beep failure, the I spray has been put on top of the leaf 1 where there is no disease, and is not absorbed. In one instance, where brown patches were observed on the leaf it was due entirely to the mixture having burnt the foliage a little, through spraying. Tbo efficacy of th‘> mixture is undisputed in the United Kingdom and in America, besides which I could quote you innumerable cases in Now Zealand whore the applications were carefully made, and w’l-h gratifying rtbulte.”