214 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Mr. Hill. Did you tell us what causes the potato scab 

 and what is a remedy for it? 



Professor Maynard. I did not. It is impossible to treat 

 of every pest in one short paper. It has been recently 

 proved that the potato scab is caused by a minute fungous 

 growth, the spores of which remain in the soil where pota- 

 toes have been raised or are carried to the field in compost. 

 This has been repaedied or prevented by soaking the seed 

 potatoes in a solution of corrosive sublimate ; I think about 

 nine ounces to fifteen gallons of water is the proper propor- 

 tion. The potatoes may be put in a basket and immersed 

 in the solution, remaining long enough to saturate the scabs, 

 then taken out and dried and another lot put in. As the 

 solution will be decreased in quantity by every lot put in, 

 it is first made stronger than is necessary, and as it grows 

 less in quantity may be increased by adding more water. 

 It has been proved to be a perfect remedy even if the potatoes 

 are planted on land where the spores are present. Land 

 that has not been planted with potatoes for several years is 

 usually free from the spores unless they are carried to it in 

 the compost or on the seed planted. 



Mr. Hill. Is it well to rake up the dead leaves from an 

 orchard and burn them, to destroy the spores of fungus that 

 may be upon them ? 



Professor Maynard. It is a good thing to do ; but such 

 spores are in forest leaves as well as in the leaves of fruit trees. 



INlr. Hill. I like to use the dead leaves for mulch 

 around my raspberries and currants. 



Professor Maynard. These spores are very minute and 

 may be lodged anywhere and everywhere, and only a small 

 part can be destroyed by burning. The better way is to 

 spray trees and plants with fungicides at a proper time, and 

 so destroy them. 



Mr. Hill. I always spray the ground and mulch under 

 my bushes and trees when I spray the green leaves. You 

 have not spoken of the quince. It is very much afiected in 

 this section with red rust. 



Professor Maynard. The fire blight does the most 

 damage to the quince. There are also two or three forms 

 of rot which attack the fruit, beside the red rust. These are 

 mostly controlled by application of the Bordeaux mixture. 



