l88 FARM CROPS 



a good deal of trouble to prevent their being de- 

 stroyed by bugs. 



Potato Blight. — Late blight or rust is caused by 

 a fungus, a kind of mildew, which is carried through 

 the winter in the seed. Where such infected po- 

 tatoes are planted the fungus develops in the potato 

 shoots and finally causes the blight of the leaves, 

 providing weather conditions are at all favorable. 

 The germs or spores are produced in enormous 

 ntfinbers on these blighting leaves and by these the 

 infection is spread to neighboring plants. Many 

 of the spores fall to the ground also, and invading 

 the tubers, cause the rot. Spraying with bordeaux 

 kills the spores, and so prevents both the blight of 

 the leaves and the rot of the tubers. 



Selecting Seed Potatoes. — In the selection of seed 

 potatoes there is but one safe rule to follow. Pro- 

 cure it from that place where it is the most perfect 

 and healthy, where the yield under favorable con- 

 ditions is the largest, and where the character of 

 the soil and the conditions of climate are similar to 

 your own. The development of the potato as to 

 quality and productiveness is more due to proper 

 care in selection for seed purposes than to all other 

 causes combined. This care is a simple matter, so 

 simple that its importance is rarely understood or 

 appreciated. The usual one of selecting the most 

 desirable tubers from the bin at the time of plant- 

 ing is but the first step in the line of improvement, 

 and that step often a mistaken one, as the ones 

 chosen may be the only ones to be found in a hill, 

 and the ones selected may represent as many hills 

 as there are specimens selected. 



The proper method to pursue is to go over the 

 field at the time of harvest, select vines that are 



