1920.] 



Wart Disease of Potatoes. 



299 



Wart Disease of Potatoes : Free Inspection of Crops. — In order to give 



farmers greater opportunities of raising clean crops of potatoes and of 

 combating Wart Disease, the Ministry has instituted a system of free 

 inspection of immune varieties and the granting of certificates. In 

 districts of England and Wales regarded by the Ministry as suitable 

 for production of " seed," growers "may have their crops inspected 

 on application. This arrangement applies only to growers whose area 

 under potatoes is not less than half an acre. In those cases where, 

 after inspection, the Ministry is satisfied that the stock is pure and the 

 crop generally healthy, a certificate to that efiect will be issued free 

 of charge. The object of this inspection is to secure, as far as possible, 

 that pure " seed," true to type, shall be available for planting in 1921, 

 in areas certified as " infected areas " under the Wart Disease of Potatoes 

 Order of igig. Growers should be aware that under this Order, " seed " 

 of immune varieties can only enter such areas after it has been certi- 

 ficated. Certificates will not be issued unless the authorities are fully 

 satisfied as to the purity of the stock and the general healthiness of 

 the crop, A certificate will assist the grower to sell his seed to a dealer, 

 and will facilitate the entry of such seed into infected areas. 



Applications for the inspection of growing crops must be made 

 on forms provided for the purpose, which can be obtained from tlie 

 Ministry, 72, Victoria Street, London S.W. i. These forms, duly com- 

 pleted, must be returned to the above address, not later than the ist 

 July, 1920. 



Foot-and-Mouth Disease. — All general restrictions as regards the 

 outbreaks of disease at Frettenham, near Norwich, and Ehnley, Isle 

 of Sheppey, which were recorded in the last issue of this Journal, 

 were withdrawn as from the 20th May, and 27th May, respectively. 



On the ist June, however, outbreaks of Foot-and-Mouth disease 

 were confirmed at Bowthorpe, near Norwich, and at Broomhill, near 

 Rye, East Sussex. As regards the former of these outbreaks, no 

 developments have occurred, but in the latter, disease was confirmed 

 to exist on the 4th and 5th June on two sets of premises in the immediate 

 vicinity of the premises at Broomhill. 



The usual orders prohibiting movement over a wide area were 

 issued on the i st June. It is to be specially noted that the new outbreak 

 at Bowthorpe unfortunately necessitates the re-imposition of restrictions 

 over a large part of the area freed from restrictions on the 20th ]May. 



Rabies. — No outbreak of Rabies has been confirmed in a home 

 dog since that at Colchester on the 8th April last, but it has been 

 definitely confirmed that Rabies existed in a dog landed from abroad 

 on the 1 6th December last, which was undergoing quarantine on 

 approved veterinary premises in accordance with the provisions of 

 the Importation of Dogs Orders. The symptoms of the disease did 

 not appear until the dog had completed nearly 4 months' quarantine. 



The muzzling restrictions which applied to a small area around 

 Stebbing in Essex were withdrawn as from the 20th May. With this 

 exception the position remains unchanged since the last issue of^^this 

 Journal was published. 



