Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-03-31
How TO Keep Potatoes from
sSfD Deteriorafing.

How TO Keep Potatoes from
xssS Deterierating.
The potato will be acknowledged
by all to be ore of the most important
crops that the farmer raises, ran king
next at least, to the great bread sta
Piles, wheat and corn. In fact 1 hard
ly think that an entire failure of the
corn crop would be felt more than an
entire failure of the potato. And yet,
as ordinarily cultivated, we find the
potato constantly deteriorating, runs
ming out" as we say. To remedy this,
men all over the country are every
year producing new varieties, These
being given the "highest" kind OF
culture, produce well, and are thrown
on the market and sold to the farmers
in small lots at exorbitant prices. The
farmer, wishing to get all the seed
possible from his new potatoes, again
gives them extra garden culture and
is well satisfied with his purchase.
He now has seed with which to plant
his fields. The next year he plants
them, and gives them ordinary field
culture; but when digging time comes,
| in nine cases out of ten. he finds that
he has spent his time and money for
that which is naugbt,' the old va
rieties doing generally as well, and
sometimes much better than the new.
Now, l believe we are altogether
on the wrong track in this matter. l
believe if the time and money spent
in producing and testing new varieties
were expended in improving and per-
fecting the old, well-establlshed sorts,
we should be better off; for think
by judicious selection Of seed and
proper cultivation, the old varieties
may not only be kept from running
out" but may be greatly improved. l
believe the potato is as susceptible Of
improvement as any of the grains.
What farmer would 60 to his corn
crib and select his seed promiscuous .
lily therefrom, and if corn happened to
be little higher-priced than usual,
select the nubbins and pig corn, reN
serving the best to sell, land not expect
his corn to "run OUT? And yet that
is the way very many farmers manage
with their potatoes, and then have to
keep changing their seed because
their varieties "run out"
There are perhaps but few of of the
older farmers whe do recOllect the old
Long Pinky potato, one of the best
potatoes.evcr raised in this country, a
potato of medium size. with now and
then one quite large. Some forty
years ago, when 1 was but a boy, l
recollect neighbor of ours, long since
passed away, always selected the lar
gest potatoes of that variety for seed,
and ina few years his Pinkies had i'm
proved in size until a load Of them
was beautiful sight, always meeting
with quick sales and good prices, for
the times.
Now l will give my theory in re-
gard to the Improvement Of the potas
to, theory which Intend to put IN
to peacsice in the future. AS i. will
take sometime to fully test its value, [
hope that many Of my brother farmers
will join with me in carrying out
some such plan by which varieties Of
potatoes may not only be kept from
deteriorating, but may be improved.
Perhaps all who have dug potatoes
have noticed occasionally hill oflarge
yield of large, uniform-sized tubers
in comparison with those from sur
rounding hills. would select half
bushel, more Or less, from such hills
to commence my seed patch. would
keep them at such a temper
ature that they would be sure not to
sprout until wanted to plant them.
l believe the first sprouts have far the
most vitality and that all others have
tendency to deterioration, 80 would
get them into the ground with theil
first sprouts perfect, not more than
four to hill, and not cut too near 10
eye. 1 would give them good ordi-
nary culture. From this patch I
wsuld again select from those hills
that gave the best yield of good sized
tubers, reserving the rest for general
planting,
Ii this were done for a series of
years, believe the potato might be