Earning Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXII, Issue 42797, 26 October 1905, Page 2

Earning Notes.

By Farmer.

The potato disease is with us again, and the situation is becoming more and more serious for growers, io say nothing of the high price which consumers must pay to secure a supply of this every-day vegetable. The disease is caused by fungus, which are extremely hard to get rid of, as it is so rapid in reproduction, and spreads with great swiftness over whole districts.

The life history of the fungus is interesting, in the case of New Zealand infection has probably been caused by imported tubers, which contained the spores or seeds of the fungus in a dormant condition. With the growth of the tuber the spores spring into life, and in a few days produce millions of spores which are carried by the wind in every direction. When a spore touches a leaf, it immediately strikes root, as it were, and proceeds to spread over the whole of the plant, down the stem and into the tubers, at the same time giving off more spores to continue and increase the spread of the disease. Infection is carried from one season to another in two ways :—lst. The tubers may be infected with spores; 2nd, the ground may be infected with spo: es. To prevent the attacks of the disease every, precaution should be taken to get seed from an unaffected crop and to plant in unaffected ground, but owing to the great rapidity with which the disease spreads it is almost impossible to escape it if it be anywhere in the neighbourhood. Growers should therefore be prepared to fight the disease by the most approved means. First and f remost, a vigorous growth should be encouraged by suitable manuring and good cultivatiod; second, the Bordeaux mixture should be applied on the first appearance of the disease and at intervals — frequent in showery weather —which besides washing off the mixture encourages a more vigorous growth of the disease.

Very good results have been obtained by spraying with the Bordeaux mixtare, and the failures reported are no doubt due to the earless way in which the instructions have been carried out. The following is the mixture and method of applying as recommended by Mr Kirk, the Government Biologist:—Tho remedy for, or rather the preventative of, potato diseases of fungoid origin, is Bordeaux . mixture, to which where insects such as the bronze beetle or potato moth attack the foliage or stem, a little Paris green should be added as follows :—4lbs sulphate of Copper, 4lbs fresh lime, 4oz Paris green, 3lb common treacle, 40 gallons of water. Dissolve the copper in, say, five gallons of wa er in a wooden vessel; the best way is to tie it in a loosely woven bag, and suspend the bag from a stick laid across the tub, or, if in a hurry, use hot water. Slack the linen in anolher vessel, and add it to the copper solution; stir well till thoroughly mixed, then add sufficient water to bring the whole up to 45 gallons. Now strain out any dirt, then stir in the treacle. Mix the Paris green to the consistency of thin paste, add it to the mixture, stirring well. Apply with a proper spray pump with a cyclone nozzle first, when the potatoes are between 6in and 9in high, and twice later at intervals of about 10 da3 r s; repeat if necessary. The treacle is not really necessary, but in rainy weather it makes the mixture more adhesive. If the 6-4-40 formula is preferred proceed in the same way.