28 



PACIFIC TREE AND VINE 



Potato Scab and 



its Prevention 



A bulletin from the Vermont 

 Experiment Station treats of potato 

 scab, and after a brief history of it, 

 declares that it is dne to a fungus 

 disease which also is the same as 

 sometimes found on beets, and that 

 any insects found in the scab are 

 secondary results, rather than a 

 cause. 



The l\ni^us is probably not a 

 naiive of our soils Its germs oc- 

 cur in great numbers on scabby 

 potatoes, and may cling to the sur- 

 face of smooth tubers. Much of 

 the loss from scab is directly due to 

 the use of infected seed. When the 

 fungus is not present in the soil a 

 crop is assured if clean seed is used. 



Certain soils are entirely free 

 from it when it is not introduced by 

 the use of seed that has the germ. 

 The putting of scabby potatoes in 

 the soil or in the manure may 

 spread the disease, but one trial of 

 feeding scabby potatoes to young 

 cattle and then using the manure 

 did not result in scab on the pota- 

 toes grown on it. 



It is not known how long the in 

 fecting fungus may remain in the 

 soil. Disinfected seed uj^on land 

 where neither potatoes nor beels 

 had been grown for seven years or 

 longer produced fifty per cent, 

 scabby potatoes' on some paitsof 

 the field. 



Heavy soils, whether of clay, 

 muck or vegetable matter, have 

 been found favorable to growth of 

 scab, perhaps because more moist 

 than other soils, and the use of 

 stable manure, soda ash, carbonate 

 potash and magnesia seem to cause 

 more scab, while common salt, land 

 plaster, commercial fertilizers, s\il- 

 phate of ammonia, nitrate of soda, 

 kainit, mnirate or sul]>hate of pot- 

 ash do not increase it and some- 

 times seem to check it. An acid 

 soil, such as results from plowing 

 under a green crop, seems to check 

 the scab, while lime or wood ashes 

 may increase it. 



Some varieties of potatoes with 

 rough skins are less subject to it 



than the smooth skins. Of seven 

 varieties tested the Early R'lse had 

 most scabby potatoes, and others of 

 the Rose type were among those 

 badly affected. 



Preventives are avoiding such 

 manures as promote scabby growth, 

 and treating the seed either with 

 corrosive sublimate, one ounce dis- 

 solved in one gallon of hot water, 

 taking ten to twelve hours for dis- 

 solving, and then reducing with 

 water to seven gallons, in which 

 the seed is soaked for one and a 

 half hours, or the soaking it in a 

 mixture of half pint of formalin in 

 fifteen gallons of water. Among 

 the objections to the corrosive sub- 

 limate are, that it is poisonous to 

 man and beast internally, and might 

 be bad for the hands if flesh was 

 cut, and the time needed to dissolve 

 it. The formalin at present prices 

 costs but litile more, and is not 

 dangerous. A pound or pint of it 

 would disinfect fifty bushels of 

 seed potatoes if properly used, 

 soaking for two hours in it. Ger- 

 mination is not hindered by it as 

 by the corrosive sublimate, and it 

 may be used in metal kettles if de- 

 sired, while the sublimate should be 

 eitlier in wonden or earihea recep- 

 tacles. Exposing seed to sunlight 

 for several weeks before planting 

 hastens the germination and also 

 helps to reduce scab. Sulphur on 

 seed or burned among seed has not 

 proved satisfactory. 



vSubscribe for the Paciitc Trkk 

 AND Vine. 



JEWELER AND SILVERSMITHS. 



CHAS. A. BOI HWELIy— 112 SOUTH FIRST 

 street, San Jose. Phone Black 1642. 



W I JR E 



F-iEi;M C E 



^Og CATTrt ^IJlTRYrTTiH(ipllH,tl 



WEST COAST WIRE^ IRON WORK 



C.\T.\I.OGUE ON APPLICATION. 



Redwood Fruit Boxes 



All sizes — stock on hand or to order. 



WOOD AND COAL 



also furnished at tlie following prices : 

 Redwood, per carload, . . . .$3.75 per cord 

 Pine wood, per carload.. . .$5.75 per cord 

 Oak wood, per carload. . . .$7.00 per cord 

 Screenings, per carload. . . .$5.00 per ton 

 Lump coal, per carload $7.00 per ton 



NOTLEY WOOD YARD 



OFFICE: 



Corner Park Avenue and Narrow Gauge R. R. 

 •PHONE, RED 1202. 



San Jose Tent and Awning Co. 



Cor. 4th and .Santa Clara Sts. 

 Telephone, Red 1053. San Jose, Cal. 



Manufacturers o( awnings, tents aud waterprocl 

 canvas covers Latest crank and fancy awnings 

 and double rollers Window awnings for resid- 

 fuces a specialty. Tents torrent. 



H. D. ANDERSON, Prop. 



TREES 



Soft Shell Walnut 

 Oli\e, Almond and lis 



Ai'i'Lt: 



CHERRY 



I'KACIl 



rij .M 



I'lUI.NK 



Al'RICOT 



GRAPI: VINES 

 LOGAN BERRY 

 MAMAIOTH BLACKBERRY 

 STRAWBERRIES. RASPBERRIES 

 CURRANTS and GOOSEBERRIES 



Seeding Peach Pits, Hard Shell Jilmonds 



Myroholan Plum Pits Ma//ard Clierry Pits Pear Seeds, Etc. 



Correspiin<fenc<. Inviicd. I'.K):; Catalogue Free on Applioation. 



TRIMBULI. & BEEBE, Seedmeii and N(ir.<;erymen 



A-i<^-A^2l Sansome. St. 



Stan Fr^nc-isc-o 



