The Hillsborough recorder., 1845-06-26
IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY or
POTATOES. -

Unripened. and consequently walery,
poistors mlkc the besl sfed-rools, inas-
mueh - they always produce slrorg, heal
Thy, vigorous plants; this walery marerbe-
ing the germinaiise principle. Potatoes
which have bcen planted late ID The sea-
son. or which have grown 10 hoggy land,
or IN mountain situation, are 10 be pre-.
frrred; ~, andeT such circumstances. The
tubeFs are not mainFed, and the Iarina HIS
nj been deTeloped. On ihe other hand, if
weuselOF Sc d-rosls iliose poiaioes which
have been raised an good land. have fully
npened there, and have attained al iIle
perieriion of whirh they are capable As 10
quality. abounding in farinaccous, matter,
but deficient in mucilagiaous matter curl.
ed. aud unhealthy, general want of Wig
or will b. evident. and the produce will be
very inferior 10 that from unripe iHbrrs,
as they only passess the procIeatiye pow
er in perfection. As an illustration, il is
known 10 mnsl persons engaged in rural
atiai's, that, IN the long varieties of pota-
TO. one end called The crown or rose end)
will. when cut of. make better seed Than
any oihrr part Of the same pola,oe; better,
berause The plant whichsprings from !, i
much more healthy, succuleni, and vigo-
roustlian the Others. llow Is this accounted
fuf! Simply because such rose end Is the
watery end. TO prove this IN be the case,
bod such potato. and the part referred
10 will be found suli and UNBEATABLE; while
the remaining part of The potato is firm,
dry, andflon'y. The circumstance Of in.
tr.ior potatoes begeiiins good ones is moi
peculiar 10 this vegetable alone, but il is
in unison with all the operations of nature,
and TO part Of her great law which de-
crees that. when perftcuun in vegetable or
aniuialproductinns mas been attained, ineir
reproductions degenerate, and rice uersd."
Essay on the field culture Of the potato,
by Peter Cowan; second edition, 1917
We think the experience Of last year
and this, in regard TO the patato crop, i.
strikingly corrol'orali,c of the theory OF
weakness IN the potato as being the prima.
~ cause of the failure; for observe the re-
suits. The unLer-ripened seed, rsiseil 10
the had season Of 1871, produced crop
without failure in 1912. and in the alleged
unfavorahle circumstances of heat and
drought; while the over-ripened seed raiss
,;l in the fine season Of 1912 has caused
extensive failures in lSi3. in the alleged
e. vorable circumstances OF moisture and
corlness. What should lie the praclice
indicated by these results but that unri-
pcned seed should be planted in all cases;
and 10 prevent its becoming over ripencd
in any season. lei the potatoes intended
fur seed be rai.ed hefore ripe" zsas
has8s Qu0rteriy Jour. Of Agr, July ls43.
The ciiaracer OF the season, il is true,
las an important influence upon the
characterof the potato crop; hut We think,
as general fact, much OF the inlrriority oI
potatoes. commsn in our market, is at.
iribu,able TO neglect in the selection and
management Of seed. Ii is more common
than otherwise for potatoes TO he stored
promiscuously al harve.t, and thus per-
I,itted TO lie together. till towards spring
when a sorting 81 The best that remain j:
made for seed. The selection should bt
made previous TO storing, and separate
place provided lnr those intended for seed
from light, from heat. and from danger o
freezing. Il is contrnded by many skill
ful farmers in England, that the taieS
formed lubers are fur The best for seed, or
indeed, those whirh have attained periec
maturity. The reason given for this superi
ority is. lha, those tubers which are lates
formed will retain their reproductive pro
perties more fully at the next season fo
planting. This theory seems plausible
10 Us. We said theory; we are reminded
however, that il is not mere theory, fo
wo fccallect reading, not long since, seye
raj statements Of praclIoa larmeis in tn
Lon Ion Agricultural Gazette, giving th
results If prac,ical test Of this theory il
their own husbandry; and those result
were strongly in its support. '~s- ..
In England, among the best farmers,
is a custom TO store the seed potatoes b
themselves in pits dug in the earth; ant
managed in this way, and being chose
from The last formed luhers, they retail
their full vgor ,ill planting time returns
and even IL not perfectly ripe when pllle'
they will become 50 in the pits. ,...
Il is confidently asserted by many ol
serving agriculturists, that weakness
the seed is the chief cause of the deiec
or failures in the potato crop, and thi
sveakaess comes from over-ripensss. I"
think" says a writer in the Gardener
Chronicle, "ihat the los aud disappoin
mcnt from failure IN the potato crop ma,
.ninety.nines cases Out o.. every hunife