48 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



is much danger in placing an afifectecl crop in storage, and 

 where this is done the cellar must be well ventilated and not 

 too moist. 



Two diseases of the pea which have been reported in Wis- 

 consin as doing much damage to the crop in those sections 

 where peas are largely grown for canning purposes have been 

 fo'und to a certain extent in Maine. One of these produces 

 spots on the stems and leaves, and these spots have ashen white 

 centers with dark borders. In severe cases the lesions on the 

 stems run together and girdle the stalk. The other disease at- 

 tacks the base of the stem causing a wilt and early death of 

 the plant. 



For control measures it is recommended to use clean seed, — 

 that is from a field where the disease does not occur, and prac- 

 tice a crop rotation of several years before growing peas on 

 the same land again. Thorough drainage and avoiding the use 

 of manure on the surface of soil around the base of the plants 

 is also helpful. In severe cases it is best to gather and burn 

 all vines after harvesting the crop. 



Partly on account of the failure of late blight of the potato 

 to appear in 19 12, and partly on account of the scarcity of 

 potato bugs, not making it necessary to spray for them, many 

 potato growers neglected last season to spray sufficiently to con- 

 trol late blight and rot. Consequently more loss resulted from 

 this disease in 19 13 than was necessary. Otherwise about the 

 usual amount of the common potato diseases were observed. 



Several new types of potato diseases are beginning to mani- 

 fest themselves in this country, and Maine potato growers 

 should be on the alert to prevent their getting a foothold here. 

 Powdery Scab has been found to be quite abundant in certain 

 restricted, neighboring portions of Canada. As yet there have 

 been but three reports of the occurrence of this disease in the 

 United States, and these are not serious outbreaks. 



A new disease known as silvery scurf has recently been intro- 

 duced into this country from Europe, and apparently is by no 

 means uncommon in Maine. In our cool storage cellars it ap- 

 parently does not develop sufficiently to attract attention, but 

 when sent South into a warmer climate quite characteristic 

 spots may develop on the surface of tubers. These are daik 

 areas on the skin of the tuber which when carefully examined 



