§ MR. R. HARCOURT (Montrose Burghs)I beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, whether the black scab potato disease can be introduced into a district by the purchase of affected seed; and, if so, what steps are being taken by the Board to warn growers accordingly.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThe reply to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. The Board are doing all they can by the issue of a leaflet and by visits of inspectors, to bring to the notice of growers the danger of purchasing affected seed.
§ MR. R. HARCOURTI beg to ask the hon. Member for South Somerset, as representing the President of the Board of Agriculture, in what counties in England and Scotland the black scab potato disease is known to exist; what steps have been taken by the Board, since the order of 18th June last making the disease a notifiable one, for the purpose either of lessening the area of infection or of checking its spread.
§ SIR EDWARD STRACHEYThe wart diseases of potatoes is known to exist in the following counties of England and Scotland: Berkshire, Cheshire, Cumberland, Derbyshire, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Salop, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Yorkshire, Ayr, Clackmannan, Dumfries, Dumbarton, Fife, Perth, Stirling. The Board have sent their leaflet on the disease to those concerned. The leaflet explains the causes of infection and the preventive and remedial measures to be adopted. Their inspectors have also visited the affected districts and have taken all possible steps to bring to the notice of growers the nature of the disease and warned them of the results of neglecting the remedial and preventive measures recommended by the Board.