6 BULLETIN 82, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGBICULTTJBE. 
in considerable quantity on potatoes corning from the Netherlands 
and Belgium. As already stated, the disease has been in Norway 
since 1888 and has since been found in Sweden. 
It is also interesting in this connection to note that Spongospora 
occurs in South America, probably the native habitat of the potato. 
It was collected in 1891 at Quito, Ecuador, by Lagerheim, who reports 
that the disease is well known to the natives. This suggests two 
possibilities: (1) That the disease has always existed there or (2) that 
it was introduced into South America on European varieties. 
PRESENCE OF POWDERY SCAB IN CANADA. 
More recently powdery scab has gained a foothold in North 
America, and early in the spring of 1913 it was reported in several 
Provinces of Canada by Giissow. The writer has been able to confirm 
Glissow's reports by personally visiting the potato-growing sections 
in three of the Provinces of Canada, namely, New Brunswick, Prince 
Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. It was found that powdery scab 
was quite generally distributed in the lower St. John River valley. 
New Brunswick, and on Prince Edward Island. 
POWDERY SCAB IN THE UNITED STATES. 
That Spongospora exists also in the United States has been defi- 
nitely established. In the spring of 1913 Morse, of the Maine Agri- 
irai Experiment Station, obtained some evidence that the disease 
exists in Nebraska and Massachusetts. No further cases have been 
reported from these States. In June, 1913, the writer collected 84 
tubers infected with Spongospora from four barrels of the Green 
Mountain variety purchased for experimental purposes at Presque 
Isle ; Me. These had been grown in the vicinity of the village during 
the season of 1912= 
Spongospora was collected at Washburn, Me,, on February 9, 
1914, and at Frenehvilie on the following day. Later it was found 
at stations farther south in Aroostook County. 
A thorough survey of northern Maine is now being made by the 
State department of agriculture, with the cooperation of this depart- 
ment. The survey to date indicates that powdery scab is more 
common in the northern half of Aroostook County. Several cases 
were found where the growers at some time during the last three or 
four years nad secured seed from the neighboring infested sections 
of New Brunswick, which may well account for the introduction of 
the disease. The results secured up to the time this bulletin goes to 
press indicate that there is considerable powdery-scab infection in 
Aroostook County. The active measures that are now being taken 
to discover and denrnit the infected areas and to prevent the ship- 
ment of diseased potatoes for seed purposes should result in checking 
the spread of powdery scab. 
