WAUPACA COUNTY REPUBLICAN

January 10, 1890

 

Scab in Potatoes

           

            The two principal desires of the potato grower are, of course, quality and quantity, and if only one may be realized the former should have the preference.  Potatoes without disease are, or ought to be, says the Florida Agriculturist, the great aim in this day of rot, blight and scabby tubers.  Of late years not only learned scientists, but progressive farmers, have endeavored to discover the cause and a preventive for scab in potatoes.

            Some of our ablest authorities, including Dr. J.B. Lawes, of England, E.S. Carman, Dr. F.M. Hexamer, Dr. Henry Stewart, and Prof. Goseman, after extensive and repeated experiments, have become convinced of the efficacy of special commercial fertilizers for the potato.  Mr. Carman, who believes that wire worms are at least one cause of the scabby potatoes, says:  “Whether the wire worm dislikes potato chemical fertilizers or whether these do not furnish the shelter which the worm prefers, we do not pretend to say.  We do say that in all of our tests the potatoes grown with farm manure have invariably been more injured with wire worms than those grown with fertilizers.”

            The feeling very generally prevails that manure, especially fresh manure, is prolific cause, in many soils, of potato scab, and ought to be avoided for this crop.  In general, it is claimed that potatoes grown with chemical fertilizers are more free from rot, scab and blight, and are smoother, more uniform and of better quality than those grown on unfermented stable manure.

            In a word, experience has proven that organic manures tend to promote scab and rot in potatoes.  The organic substances seems to afford a soil peculiarly adapted to the development of fungi and insects, which in time attack the potatoes.  On the other hand, results favor the belief that commercial fertilizers made from minerals and properly treated animal products are comparatively free from fungi, and that such fertilizers tend to prevent or destroy any chance fungus growth in the potato itself.

            Notwithstanding these facts, so long as the farmer has an abundance of barnyard manure he does not feel inclined nor see the necessity of buying commercial fertilizers.  Our own experience has been that on new land - fresh broken clover sod or prairie sod the second season after breaking produces clean potatoes.  To use barnyard manure with the best results it should be well rotted.  To this end we advise getting out such manure this fall upon land that is to be used next season for the potato crop.  If it can be plowed under this fall and the land plowed again before planting it is all the better.