IRISH BLIGHT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9570, 17 August 1909, Page 5

IRISH BLIGHT.

RIGID INSPECTION OF TASMANIA N POTATOES. ■ TT Received August 16, 10 a.m MELBOURNE, August 16 A rigid inspection of Tasmanian potatos is taking place. A thousand bags have been condemned, but a large number were admitted. It is not intended to issue an order prohibiting importation of Tasmanian potatoes into Victoria. The State Government vegetable pathologist considers that New South Wales acted hastily in issuing its prohibition.

The fact that the dreaded blight has been discovered in Taamanian potatoes gives cause for the most | stringent precautions. The disease is so deadly to the tubers, and so persistent, that no precautions can be too severe. It produced the Irish famine of 1848. An interesting article on the potato blight appears n the current month's issue of the >Jew South Wales Agricultural Sazette, and the following extract ieala with that disease:—"The Queensland Department of Agri'ulture has reported to the Departnent of this State that the potato lisease, 'Phytophthora infestans," :ommonly known as Irish blight, ias appeared in the south-eastern :orner of that State. This is a natter of vital importance to the >otato growers of this State, more )articularly to those in the North I ]oast, who should scrupulously i ivoid importing for the approaching ; Wanting season any seed from , Queensland which can possibly have )een infected with this dread fungus lisease. It has been long known in ; flew* Zealand, and has done focal-, •.ulable damage there to the jotato industry, besides blocking | Australian ports to any potato seed "rom the Dominion. It is a matter if congratulation that the Queensand Department has promptly deleted this disease, and it may be !onfidently expected that it will take snergetic steps to stamp it out en:irely, and thereby save the whole >f Australia, So far, the blight has iot been found in Mew South Wales, md our growers have therefore ih« >pportunity of taking during the forthcoming season every precaution So prevent the introduction ot this errible disease to their potato ireas. The appearance of diseased übers is very characteristic. Numsrous sunken, dead, brown patches are developed on the surface of the übers. These may remain firm and lard for some time, but generally hey become sott, and the whole ;über rapidly rots. This rot is ac:ompanied by a particularly foetid >dour, quite distinct from that of ;he rots caused by bacteria, fusarum, etc Provided that due pre:utions have been taken to plant none Dut healthy seed potatoes, the only tieans of infection of the growing irop is by means of spores blown by ;he wing trom diseased plants—jotato or others, as indicted. A sinjle affected tuber planted in a crop :an serve as an infection centre for i whole district"