Potato Disease.

Kawhia Settler and Raglan Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 298, 22 February 1907, Page 2

Potato Disease.

[Mark Lanb Express, January 15.] Dariug last season the crops of potatoes suffered in many parts of tbe country, and especially on the Continent from the dreaded potato direase. The best aud most praocioal remedy is spraying with Bordeau mixture, if necessary, several times. On this subject the Board of Agriculture have issued special leaflets and published in the August, 1905, numder of their journal some valuable information on the preparation of the mixture The Director of the Central Society nf Agriculture in Belguitn has communicated the results of trials made last season in 11 experimental fields of potatoes. Tbe variety used for the trial* was the ’’Walen,” a kmd much esteemed iu Belguim as being better than any other for cooking purposes. The first spraying operation was perform od towards tho end of Jane, and for the sake of comparison some were sprayed twice and some three times. The result was approximately the following:

Larga Small Tubers Tabers T’tl Without Spraying, tons 4 2 6 One Spraying ~6 17 Two Sprayings ~ 6 2 8 Thr'se Sprayings „ 8 2 10 It will br seen that the effect of ooe treatment was to inure.' se the yield of large tubers aud to demiuish tho inferior cl -(M, aud that the benefit of the three operations was progressive. The quality of tho potatoes takeu fr.?m tbe fields where in consequence of the trea'ment the crop was able to make a normal growth up to maturiiy was superior to that of the potatoes which not br'ni treated, suffered more or less from disease, It is a matter for regret that »o many potato—growers uegleet to have recourse to a remedy so simple aud efficacious. Tbe distress which exists among a large circle of the small farmers iu the country (Belgium)would have been much less, as thousands of acres would have produced two *lo four tons more sound tubers per acre The lesson should come home to them, and next season the employment of the Bordeaux mixture should beoome much more general. The most prudent growers employ it «yery year as a preventive without waiting for the signs of tbe.disease to appear. In most of the trials the first operation of spraying was carried out about June 27; in other cases it was put off until July, and it was noticed tnat the sprayings produced tbe best results.

It is nsual among the farmers o postpone tbe operation till there are signs of the disease, bat it is best to employ it as a preventive.