152 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 15 



diseased potatoes were so numerous in his field that he decided that it 

 would not pay to even dig his potatoes. These men have probably 

 learned to have a little respect for the inspection service. 



Before seed sweet potatoes can be certified they must be inspected 

 at least twice, — once in the field and once in storage. Potato plants 

 to be sold must be grown from certified seed and besides these, seed must 

 be bedded under the supervision of an inspector of the Plant Board, 

 and must be inspected at least once not more than three weeks before 

 any plants are removed from the bed. 



The inspection service may be considered under three headings: 

 (1) Field Inspections, (2) Storage Inspections, (3) Bed Inspections. 



Field Inspections. A 10% infection of stem-rot at time of field inspec- 

 tion prohibits certification of seed. If less than a 10% infection of stem- 

 rot is found all diseased hills are dug up and both vines and tubers 

 burned under the supervision of a inspector who advises the grower to 

 treat diseased spots in the field in the same manner that he treats his 

 potato frame and beds in the spring — i.e. : apply corrosive sublim.ate 

 or copper sulphate solution. Fields showing less than a 10% infection 

 of stem-rot at first field inspection are re-inspected just before the 

 potatoes are dug for the purpose of destroying all hills developing in- 

 fection after the first field inspection was made. 



Storage Inspection. Potatoes that are to be sold for planting 

 purposes must be separated from eating potatoes before inspector 

 arrives. (We urge field seed selection at digging time and the storage 

 of seed potatoes as far away from the bulk of the crop as possible.) 

 If black-rot or stem -rot is found during the storage inspection, and 

 the grower still desires to sell a part of his crop for planting purposes, 

 he must cull out all diseased potatoes from his seed stock and arrange 

 for a second storage inspection at a later date. 



When the field and storage inspections of a grower's seed sweet pota- 

 toes have shown them to be apparently free of serious diseases arid in- 

 sect pests, application is made to the State Plant Board for Seed Sweet 

 Potato Permit Tags. The application is accompanied by an affidavit 

 covering a number of points, among them the following: 



The grower agrees to use permit tags on all seed sweet potatoes that 

 he disposes of within the State of Mississippi. He agrees to dispose of 

 only such seed sweet potatoes as have been inspected by an agent of the 

 State Plant Board, and found to be apparently free of serious diseases 

 and insect pests. He agrees to carefully inspect all sweet potatoes that 

 are disposed of for planting purposes, culling out every potato showing 

 the least sign of disease. He agrees to destroy all culled potatoes by 



