THE FARMER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 7 September 1907, Page 6

THE FARMER

IRISH POTATO BLIGHT. o ITS APPEARANCE IN NEW ZEALAND. At a meeting or the Wellington Philosophical Society on Wednesday night, Mr A. H. Cockayne, of the Go- , vernment Biological Dapw-tment. read a paper entitled "Notes on the Spread of Phytophthora Infertans," comhnnlv known as Irish potato blight. He said that no records existed to show when the disease was first intrjduced into this country. It assumed epidemic form in 1904, lmt thev had the Jvideiee of Professor Thomas that it !;ad '.wen in the country twelve years 'feviously whPe Mr Kirk, Govern .nent' Biolo«ist' had detected its presence soa.e lift'on years ago, although not in epidemiforms; and he did not consider th'-e was any connection between its former and latter appearance. The lecturer attributed the outbreak to the fres'i importations of phytophthora mycelium in import.-d potatoes. Mr T. W. Kirk, in supporting Mr Cockayne's deductions and conclusions, paid a tribute to the work of research in which the lecturer had engaged. Neither Mr Cockayne nor himself had had the time to devote to the original investigation that he should like to have sen taken. If any philanthropic gentleman desired to do the country a service, he could not do better than supply the money necessary for a proper and thorough investigation of the diseases that attacked plants. Every other day settlers wanted to know what was wrong with their plants, and that work had to be neglected to undertake this research. He had always considered that Professor Thomas" had made a mistake about the old outbreak of Irish potato blight. He had had specimens of potatoes affected. He believed himself that that original limited outbreak had nearly died out, owing to.the seasons being unfavorable to the disease. At any rate they did not hear anything about it. The time he first saw it in New Zealand was years ago, when he was connected with the Museum. He thought there was good ground for believing that the old outbreak died out. There had been a series of seasons favorable to the potato and unfavorable to the disease. In the second place it was only found in one locality in Auckland. Thirdly, there were practically no importations of new varieties of potatoes during those years. Then,'. there was such a necessity for importing that the Department of Agriculture undertook the work, and imported a variety of new potatoes, which were distributed to nurserymen. A perfect mania then broke out amongst seedsmen for importing every variety of potato that was ever advertised in the world. He had been able practically, though not absolutely, to trace the outbreak in Auckland to some of these importations' —to certain of those consignments. That showed the necessity of obtaining power to prevent further importation of diseased potatoes; and when power was obtained, at the close of 1897, they still found numerous parcels of potatoes coming through the parcels post, and larger parcels still being sent by steamer, which had to be condemned, owing to 'the existence of the resting mycelium of this disease. The point raised by the lecturer—that the spores falling on the potatoes seemed to set up a rot had been proved by themselves on a number of occasions. There appeared to be no doubt that the spores falling on the tubers seemed to set up a rot. This was not always the case, but was sometimes the case, with the resting mycelium. As to whether the damage to the potato—the rot— was due to phytophthora or bacteria, did not matter much to the unfortunate farmer who lost his potatoes. There was no getting away from the fact that the phytophthora was the primary cause of all the trouble. Where potatoes were properly sprayed, they were getting practically a crop free from air the diseases; but where spraying had been neglected the crop suffered. (Applause). The chairman (Professor Kirk) complimented Mr Cockayne on the research he bad shown in in's paper, and the maimer in which he had marshalled his facts. He fully endorsed what Mr Kirk • hart said as to the overbnrthening with , work of everbody who was willing to undertake the research. It .would be a happy day when they had a Government that would appreciate the importance of research into matters of this kind. He hoped that the fact that they had had ! no news of the Agricultural Depart- ' raent's Museum was an indication that they were to have it retained. Most people interested had been shocked to hear that it would be necessary to close the Museum because there was no place in which it could be accommodated. He sincerely hoped, as he believed every member of the society did, that the rlecisiou to close the Museum would be reconsidered. (Applause).