2l6 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



been connected with the Station I have turned my special atten- 

 tion to diseases of the potato. During these three or four years 

 the bHght has been a most prominent disease in Connecticut, 

 and so what I have to say relates to the diseases of the potato 

 in Connecticut, and especially to that most serious trouble, the 

 blight. 



The potato, like all other plants, and also like animals, is 

 subject to serious diseases, in some cases resembling each other 

 quite closely so that a person of mature judgment and expe- 

 rience in dealing with such matters recognizes some of them. 

 Those troubles that occur upon the tubers are not subject to 

 treatment by spraying. Those that occur upon the leaves are 

 more or less subject to treatment. The blight is one of those 

 forms that first appear upon the leaves, and I wish to speak of 

 three different points with reference to blight troubles. Of 

 course, you know in a general way that moist weather is largely 

 the cause that brings on a sudden decay of the vine or leaves, 

 and the disease usually makes its appearance on the under side 

 of the leaves. Then, under favorable conditions, the tubers 

 may rot from the same trouble, so that we have injury to the 

 foliage and a rotting of the tuber, which, of course, reduces 

 the yield of marketable potatoes after a crop has been grown. 



Now the first topic that I wish to speak upon is that of 

 spraying, and especially with reference to field spraying. We 

 spray potatoes for the potato blight. The older Bordeaux 

 mixture is the thing that is usually used. There is a difference 

 as to the method of applying the spray, and it is upon that that 

 I wish to speak more particularly now. I have found that in 

 Connecticut the spraying of potatoes is not general, but it has 

 increased in each of the four years that I have been here, until 

 today I see quite a marked interest in this subject. A great 

 many more people are spraying today than there were four 

 years ago, and I think the number is bound to increase as our 

 farmers recognize more and more the efficiency of it, so that 

 later on it will become the general custom. In general I find 

 that most people are fairly well pleased with the results. Of 

 course, there are some that will not get results from spraying. 

 In general, the value of spraying depends on how serious the 

 blight is with which you have to contend, how carefully a man 

 sprays, and whether he sprays at the proper time. 



