The Potato Blight.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 20, Issue 67, 24 August 1909, Page 7

The Potato Blight.

Sydney, August 21. The proclamation against the importation of Tasmanian potatoes operates from to-day. About 11,000 bags are held up at the wharves. NEW ZEALAND POTATOES IN AUSTRALIA. Wellington, August 21. The Federal Government have replied to the Acting-Premier, stating that they will consider the dominion’s suggestion that the prohibition imposed upon New Zealand potatoes being imported into Australia be removed if consignments are accompanied by an official certificate as to freedom from disease, and subjected to farther inspection upon their arrival, The fact that the dreaded blight has been discovered in Tasmanian potatoes gives cause for the most stringent precautions. The disease is so deadly to the tubers, and so persistent, that no precaution can be too severe. It produced the Irish famine of 1848. An interesting article on the potato blight appears in the current month’s issue of the New South Wales Agricultural Gazette, and the following extract deals with that disease: “The Queensland Department of Agriculture have reported to the department of this State that the potato disease, ‘Pbytophthora infestans,’ commonly known as Irish blight, has appeared in the southeastern corner of that State. This is a matter of vital importance to the potatogrowers of this State, more particularly to those in the North Coast, who should scrupulously avoid importing for the approaching planting season any seed from Queensland which can possibly have been infected with this dread fungus disease. It has been long known in New Zealand, and has done incalculable damage there to the potato industry besides blocking Australian ports to any potato seed from the dominion. It is a matter of congratulation that the Queensland Department have promptly detected this disease and it may be confidently expected that they wil take energetic steps to stamp it out entirely, and thereby save the whole of Australia. So far, the blight has not been found in New South Wales, and our growers have therefore the opportunity of taking during the forthcoming season every precaution to prevent the introduction of this terrible disease to their potato areas. The appearance of the diseased tubers is very characteristic. Numerous sunken, dead, brown patches ate developed on the su'face of the tubers. These may remain firm and hard for some lime, but generally become soft, and the whole tuber rapidly rots. This rot is accompanied by a particularly foetid odofir, quite distinct from that of the rots caused by bacteria, fusarium, etc. Provided that due precautions have been taken to plant none but healthy seed potatoes, the only means of infection of the growing crop is by means of spores blown by the wind from diseased {plants—potato or others, as indicated. A single affected tuber planted in a crop can serve as an infection centre fora whole distric!.”