Commissioner of Agriculture 205 



report may be used as a guide on the subj eet of potato seed certifi- 

 cation for the information of those who are interested, in the event 

 that a statute on the subject is demanded by conditions that are 

 believed to exist. 



In this division of our work it has been necessary to arrange for 

 the certification of cargoes of potatoes that are shipped from New 

 York State to South American countries, since no potatoes are 

 permitted to be shipped to those countries unless a certificate of 

 inspection is attached indicating freedom from apparent disease. 

 Such certificates have to be issued by this Department and copies 

 of same are attached to the bills of lading, accompanied by affi- 

 davits of the shippers. All of these must be submitted to the 

 consuls of foreign countries before the shipments can be accepted 

 for transportation. The Federal Government continued this work 

 until about the first of November, since which time we have given 

 it attention, and the following is a statement of the volume of this 

 work as shown by experts during the last year. 



A Report Bearing on the Improvement of Long Island Grown Bliss 

 Triumph Potatoes With the Results of Inspection Thereof 



H. C. SANDS, Pathologist 



introduction 



On the Island of Bermuda the growers of potatoes have suffered such 

 losses from their inability to obtain vigorous seed that the Government of 

 the Island has found it necessary to lend assistance. 



Owing to the fact that Bliss Triumph and Garnet are the only two varie- 

 ties that can be grown, the question became one of securing seed, especially 

 of Bliss Triumph, which would give better yields; or, having the government 

 take over the production of enough seed for their requirements. It was a 

 common occurrence for the Bermudian grower to obtain less than he had 

 planted. 



On the Islands it is customary to plant one crop of potatoes following 

 another. The seed for the planting that occurs in January is procured from 

 either Maine or New Brunswick ; seed for the planting in August is procured 

 from Long Island. A matter of much interest is the fact that seed held over 

 in Maine by cold storage, and intended to supplant the Long Island produc- 

 tion dug about August first, shows such a marked reduction in yielding 

 ability that it must be eliminated from practical consideration. This fact 

 makes the Long Island Bliss Triumph a necessary link in the chain. 



During the season of 1914, the Bermuda Government sent Mr. E. J. Wort- 

 ley. Director of Agriculture for Bermuda, to both Long Island and Maine 

 to study conditions with a view to improving the seed situation. It was dur- 



