TASMANIAN POTATO TROUBLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 583, 11 August 1909, Page 10

TASMANIAN POTATO TROUBLES.

APPEAL TO NEW ZEALAND. : .The-story suggested in yesterday's cablegram concerning Tasmania's appeal for New Zealand's holp in suppressing the potato disease, begins in Juno last, when a s'omeivhat similar appeal reached us.from Queensland. At that timo the Queensland' Government cabled to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, asking if they could spare Mr. T. W. : Kirk, the Government Biologist, to go over and investigate and report 011 an outbreak of potato disease ill-their country, and give them advice as! to suppressing it. At t)iat time, however; tlio biologist was too busy, and the Dominion Government could not . spare him, Tho. Queensland authorities were informed of this,-, and-were,. asked to sotid over, some of the diseased material for investigation. This - was -done, and the in-, vcstigatioii was .made in 'Wellington,.- and-the-Tjiologist's .'report' cabled osror.fto -the 1 . Queonslarid Government.

Last week a. similar .urgent request was received ;from • tlio Prime" Minister' of., Tasmania, arid, although ..at! considerable'' inconvenience, the. Hon. Minister for .Agriculture .has' obtained > tho' approval' of Cabinet for-. Mr. Kirk ..to- proceed : ; to -Tasmania this, week. ' He will- catch- the Australian, mail steamer-at. Bluff. . Mr. Kirk's task apparent-, ly will be to investigate, the-various; diseases which have obtained a hold in. Tasmania; and diagnose them. His, experience of plant diseases has \ made ! him -familiar with the leading potato diseases,-and lie . will probably be able. to . ■ satisfactorily settle • the question of what really is the matter withTasmanian ' potato fields. The potato' industry is valuable- to Tasmania. •' ■ . Theso- two appeals to New Zealand-from two of the Australian States within a space of two months arp a high compliment to the Dominion's Department of Agriculture, and show that New. Zealand is not'lagging in tho scientific side-of agriculture; Mr. Kirk will tako. over with him a collection of specimens of nearly all tho diseases and pests which attack potatoes.