GRIM CENTENARY

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24678, 22 September 1945, Page 3

GRIM CENTENARY

IRISH POTATO BLIGHT OUTBREAK 100 YEARS AGO It was on August 16, 1845—just 100 years ago—that the first record of the appearance of potato blight in England was published in the columns of the "Gardeners’ Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette." A week later the disease was already so widespread that it was the subject of an editorial article that has often been quoted since: if A fatal malady has broken out amongst the potato’ crop. _ On all sides we hear of the destruction. In Belgium the fields are said to have been completely desolated. There is hardly a sound sample in Covent Garden Market.” But however serious the new potato disease was in England, it was even more serious in Ireland, where potatoes formed almost the only article of diet of a numerous peasantry. Two successive years of blight caused dire distress and famine, and many thousands emigrated to America, says the “Weekly News Service" of the British Ministry of AgricultureUse of Bordeaux Mixture As there have been mild outbreaks —in comparison with the earlier ones in Ireland —in New Zealand in the past it may be interesting to describe the British practices to deal with them. The article says that 40 years passed before the effectiveness of spraying with Bordeaux mixture as apreventive of blight was discovered. This French discovery was tried with success in many parts of England in the. years between 1890 and 1910. Subsequently, dusting with copper-lime' dusts when the leaves were wet with dew was widely adopted in the big fields of the Lincolnshire fenlands. where speed of application and saving of water were important. In recent years a further development has come to assist in the control of late blight—the killing or burning of the haulm at -the end of the season with sulphuric acid or other chemical spray. This permits sound tubers to be lifted, free from the danger of contamination with blight spores from the leaves, and prevents much rot during storage. . „ _ Evolving Blight-free Types Last, there is the possibility of a still better control being developed in the future—by plant breeders. Some modern varieties are a good deal less susceptible to blight than King Edward or the once pupular Up-to-Date. Experiments are being made on breeding potatoes completely resistant to blight by means of _ crossing wellknown varieties with wild South American types immune from blight. If a good commercial potato immune from blight could be produced it would save at one stroke all the troublesome business of spraying or dusting as an ■insurance against the disease, and all the wastage of tubers in storage which occurs to a greater or lesser extent every year. These are but the bare outlines of the story of potato blight in Great Britain in the first 100 years of its existence there—the havoc it has wrought and the control measures that have been developed. HAY SHIPMENTS BUYERS “ EXTRA WELL PLEASED »» A Christchurch produce merchant, who took a leading pari in procuring hay for Australia some months ago, has received advice from the Australian Commonwealth Officer _ (Mr J. Byrne) who inspected the hay in New Zealand before shipment, that he had made a lot of inquiries as to how the Interbank cargo, shipped some time ago, had turned out. , , . “They were extra well pleased about it,” Mr Byrne wrote, “and wished there hadbeenalotmoreof.it.” The writer continued that New South Wales was looking wonderful. The Government had a 1 big cutting programme on at present to send hay to Victoria and South Australia. There were about 20,000 tons to go by the end of November. At present wheaten hay 4ft to sft high was being cut. BEEF SCHEDULE BEST GRADE OX 42/- PER IOOLB The beef export schedule for all weights for the opening of the new season will be 42s per 1001b for best grade ox beef, an advance of 2s per 1001b on last year’s rates. In the telegraphed announcement from Wellington the new price was mentioned as 43s per 1001b for top grade. F.a.q. ox beef will be 37s per 1001b. Good average quality heifer beef will be 41s per 1001b and f.a.q. 36s per 100. and cow 35s 6d and 30s 6d for the respective grades, all weights in all cases. EARLY POTATOES SOUTH ISLAND MAXIMUM PRICES The new Price Order for early season’s potatoes, published last Saturday, applies to the North Island and Nelson, and not to the rest of the South Island. The maximum prices for early potatoes to South Island growers are substantially higher. The maximum rate a ton up to and including November 30, 1945, is £42 10s for first grade and £3B for undergrade. The North Island and Nelson maximum, as previously stated, up to and including September 30, are for first grade and £34 for undergrade. SHOW DATES The following dates have been notified for spring shows:— October 18—Ellesmere. October 27—Rangiora. October 27—Timaru. October 30 and 31—Marlborough. November 2—Amberley. November 8 and 9—Canterbury Metropolitan. November 17— Courtenay. November 21—Otago. November 23 and 24 —Nelson. November 28—Oamaru. December B—Little8 —Little River. December 11 and 12- —Southland. March 30 (1946)—Methven. CONTRACTS FOR PRUSSIAN PEAS STILL AVAILABLE A recently-published news paragraph stating that there would be no contracts for Pussian Blue Peas for 1946 applied only to contracts directly connected with the Food Controller, contracts for Prussian Blue Peas for still available with Alex. McDonald and Co., 194 Cashel street, Christchurch, who, with their private connexions, are arranging firm contracts at last year’s contract price for disposal other than through the Food Controller. Pea growers are advised to get in touch with Alex. McDonald and Co., Christchurch. —6