§ MR. R. HARCOURT (Montrose, Burghs)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.
(Answered by Sir Edward Strachey.) The wart disease 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 1574 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.