POTATO BLIGHT RE-APREARING.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 9002, 15 November 1907, Page 2

POTATO BLIGHT RE-AP-REARING.

The potato blight is said to be appearing this season as bad as oyer. It is the same form as previously and is iu fact getting worse every year. When the blight is once thoroughly in the ground it stays there all the winter, reappearing the following spring There is no doubt that using seed year after year without introducing any now sorts helps on the degeneracy of the potato plant. A short time ago a resident of this district applied to the Government to get iu glass duty'’ free to make a glass house for the purpose of raising the potato from the bulb a small rduud ball which grows round 'the stein of the plant. It would have taken four years to raise potatoes thus but' when once grown it would bo absolutely clear of all diseases engendered by the mother plant. Using the same land over and over again has no doubt something to do with the blight recurring each year. It is necessary to change every three years tlie soil iu a glass house used for growing tomatoes. Otherwise there will be no crop at all for the fourth year, while iu any case the class of fruit deteriorated every year the same soil is used. It makes' no difference whether manure is used, for certain properties are derived from contact with the open air which are absolutely necessary to the maturing of the fruit.