Potato Blight.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13421, 19 October 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

Potato Blight.

At a meeting of'the Wellington Philosophical Society (says the "New Zealand Timts") Mr A. H. Cockayne, of the Government Biological Department, read a paper entitled "Notes on the Spread of Phvtopthora Infestans," commonly known as "Irish potato blight. He said that no records existed to show when the diseasa was first introduced into this country. It assumed epidemic fonn in 1904, but they had the evidence of Professor Thomas that it hud been' in the country twelve years previously, while Mr Kirk, Government Biologist, had detected its presence soma fifteen years ago, although not in epidemic form; and he did not consider there Mas any connection between its former and later appearance. The lecturer attributed the outbreak to fresh importations of phytopthora mycelium in imported potatoes. "Mi- T. W. Kirk, in supporting Mr Cockaymys deductions and conclusions, paid a" tribute to the work of research in which the lecturer had engaged. Neither Mr Cockayne nor himself had had the time to devote to the origiuaL investigation that he should like to have seen taken. If any philanthropic gentleman desired to do the country a service, he fcofcdd not do better than supply the money necessary for a proper and thorough investigation of the diseases that attacked plants-. Every other day settlers wanted to know what was wrong with their plants, and that work had 'o be neglected to undertake this research, lie had always considered that Professof Thomas had made a mistake about the old outbreak of Irish potato blight. He had had : specimens of potatoes affected. He believed himself that that original limited outbreak had nearly died out, owing to the seasons being unfavourable to the disease. At any rate, they did i.ot hear anything about it. The time he first saw it in New Zealand was years ago when he was connected with the museum. He thought there was good ground for believing that the old outbreak died out. There had been a f-eries of seasons favourable to the potato and unfavourable to the disease. In the second place, it was

only found in one locality in Auckland. Thirdly, there were practically no importations of new varieties of potatoes during those years. Then, there was puck a. necessity of importing that the Department of Agriculture undertook the work, and imported a variety of new potatoes, which were distributed to nuiserymen. A perfect mania then ■ broke out amongst seedsmen for importing evtry variety of potato that was. ndvertised in the world. He had been able practically, though not absolutely, to trace me cutoreak m Auckland to some of those importations—' to certain of those consignments. That showed the necessity oi u'ltu'iimg .rcnerto prevent further luporta.ion of diseased potatoes; and when power was obtained at the close of 1897, they still found numerous parcels of potatoes coming through the parcels post/and larger parcels still being -sent;'by steau't-r, which had to be condemned, owing to flv. existence pf the resting mycelium of this disease. The point raked by the lecturer—that the spores falling on the potatoes seemed to set up a rot—had been proved by themselves on a number of occasions. There appeared to be no doubt that the spores falling on the tubers seemed tpgjjet up a rot. •■• This was not always, the %8f&, but was sometimes the case, with the resting mycelium. . As to whether the damage to the patato —the i?6t—was due to."phytopthora or-"bacteria, dixl riot matter, much to the unfortunate farmer who lost his potatoes. There was no getting away from the fact that the phytopthora was the .-primary, cause of all the trouble. Where potatoes were properly sprayed, they were k-miij; practically a crop free from all the diseases; but where spraying had been neglected the crop suffered. •'-' Mr Martin Chapman, K.G., .observed that the Chatham Islands formed an area peculiar to themselves in this matter -'/ of pests and diseases:-"The pests'-.that existed on the mainland were commonly absent from the Chatham Islands. The peoplethere were not subject to the common cold more than .the natives "of the Arctic regions. Influenza was also unknown and a whole host of minor ailments. The "islanders, however, did not find this sucli an advantage as might seem at- first sight, because one result was that they came to the mainland ready for that was going. Tlie same applied to potato disease. It never attacked the islands. The Maoris, acting upon good advice, quarantined their islands, and not only prevented the potato from coming but they would not even allow an ; old sack in which potatoes -had been, to be brought ashore. He was sorry to bear now that the potato disease "was appearing there. The last information he had received from Mr Shand, who took a- great interest in the-.islands, was that blight had appeared. : ; >

Mr Kirk: The disease is \ pretty bad down there now. We have had some pretty bad specimens from there. :' The Chairman (Professor Kirk) complimented Mr Cockayne on the research he had shown in his paper, and the manner in which he had marshalled his facts. Ho fully endorsed what Mr Kirk had said as to the ovcrburthening with . work of everybody who" was willing to undertake the work of research .-It would be ,a, happy-/ day when they had a "Government that would appreciate the importance of research into matters, of. this kind. He hoped that the fact that they;had' had no news of, the Agricultural .Department's Museum was- an indication that, they were to have it retained. Most people interested had been shocked 'to hear that itwould, be necessary to close the Museum because there was no place in which it could be accommodated. He sincerely, hoped, as he. believed every .-member- of the society did, .thatVthe ■ decision to close the Museum - would be reconsidered. -.. ■