CORRESPONDENCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 4985, 26 March 1895, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

POTATO DISEASE,

[to the editor.]

Sin,—No doubt you have heard about the potato disease in this and the Palinerston districts. I have taken a good deal of trouble to ascertain the amount of damage done by the pest. ,In thoPahiatua district I have only seen one crop of 2\ acres quite clean of the disease; tho sorts are Magnum Bonum and Beauty of Hebron, Very few of the settlers seem to know that their crops are affected until their attention is called to the fact. Any person can tell at once whether his potatoes are affected by going along the rows, and taking hold of the potato tops give thorn a gentle pull. If diseased tho stem will leave the gronndquitfleasily.lfhethenexamina the stem, he will find that it is either decayed or commencing to, just at the roots. The disease has been in the district now for Borne years; in fact the potato cropß inMasterton

were affected with it fifteen years ago, and since that time it has continued to exist to a less or greater oxtent in most crops of Derwente and Brown Rivers. Thecrops in Pahiatua and district will only reach abonta \to £ crop—say from about 3to 9 tons per acre. Again, in the Woodville district, the crops I have seen, will not reach more than about 4 tons, in Palmerston and district, I have seen about dO crops, within 12 miles of Palmerston, and I am quite sure thoy will not average 2 tons to the acre, of good table potatoes. The diseaso is also bad in the Hawke's Bay district, and I think you will findthatitexistaall through tho Wairarapa, I shall be much surprised if it does not also exist all through the South Island, 'l'he disease can be cured at a small cost per acre ; in fact nearly all the pests affecting our crops can at a small cost be cleaned of all insect life without injury to the crops. A patent is about to be taken out by a settler who has for years used a preparation which has proved effectual against all insect pests." It is expected that the preparation will clean an acre for 12s (id. I am, etc, W.W.McCaHM.K.