The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1882-04-26
How Are New Varieties of Potatoes Pro-
duced?


duced?
IAmericAn Agriculturistf for May-l
We must in the first place state that the
potato is not root at all, but short, thick
underground branch of the plant. We have
several times seen, and no doubt many OF our
readers have also, the branches of the potato
vine developed as potatoes above ground.
We must start with the idea, then, that the
potato Is really branch or stem. tits
well-established fact among fruit growers
and florists, that a shoot or branch of a plant
may produce very different fruits or flowers
from the rest of the plant, and this occurs
without any assignable cause, and without
any human agency. These cases, by horti-
culturists called sports" are very numer-
Gus. A late peach has been known to
produce branch ON which all
the fruit was early. Other peach
trees have formed branches which
bore only nectarines-merely sport
of the peach. Certain branches on yellow
plum trees have produced red plums, and
shoots on purple grape vines have borne
white grapes. In flowers, especially roses,
these variations are very numerous. We
only cite these cases to show what may take
place, indeed, has taken place, in the potato.
The tuber being really branch, it may,
like branch of peach, plum, or grape,
is the Late Rose" In field
of Early Rose" a single plant was
found to be green, and still growing long
after the vines in the rest of the field were
dead and ready for the harvest. The owner
had the g9oI sense to save and perpetuate
the product of this vine, and now, as the
Late Rose" it is one of our valuable kinds.
Other varieties have been produced in a sim
liar manner We can not cause this varl-
alton to take place, but as it may occur any
where, the careful cultIVator should take
note OF any marked differences in the vines
that may appear in his potato field.
As TO raising new varieties from seed, we
doubt if much actual cross-fertiliZation has
ever been done. To Iefer to fruits again
the seeds of the apples or the peaches from
any one tree, taken as they are, without any
attempt at fertilization, will give a great
variety of seedlings and we know it to be
the same with potatoes. That greatest OF
all modern potatOes-greatest in itself and
in the varieties 1t has given rise
to-the early Rose, came from
chance seed ball of the
coarse, but prolific Garnet Chilli" A
grower had picked this seed-ball from his
patch without selection, and pinned it
against his window 10 ripen, and finally
gave it to Mr.. Breese--of blessed potato
memory--who sowed the seeds. From these
seeds in this chance ball, picked without
selection, cane the early Rose" ''Breeses
Prolific and several others. all of excellent
qualify, but very different, some being
white, others red; some long others
round, some early. aud some late;
indeed. from that one, and now
famous seed-ball, were raised potatoes differ
Ing among themselves as much as potatoes
can differ. In view of the results from this
single seed-ball, we doubt many of the stories
of direct crossing. Still, if one wishes to ex-
pertinent in this, the flower of the potato
affords an easy subject, as the aEthers do not
shed their pollen early, ana if removed as
soon as the flower opens, the pollen from
another flower can be readily applied to the
pistil. As TO raising potatoes from the seed,
the balls are kept until the time for sowing,
when the seeds are removed and treated pre-
cisely as tomato seeds. They are started in
boxes in the greenhouse, the hot=bed or in
the kitchen window (Mr. Breese followed
the last named method), and the plants
treated exactly like tomato plants, save that
they may be set in the open ground some
what earlier. Mr.. Breese informed us. that
the OIlBl0dl pant Ol muse gave ulIU
several good sized tubers the first year, and
stated that in his experience, if Seeding
potato did not do this the first season, it
was not worth while 10 continue to grow it.
What is nuIchinge
Having used the term mulch" for these
many years, We were DESTROYS of learning
Its origin, and after much search through
cyclOpaedias and dictionaries. find it is de
rived from the Hebrew word for partly rot
ten straw. LOudOn saws: "Mulching con-
sists In laying circle of litter around newly
planted trees TO retain the natural humidity
OF the SOIL" Really, mulchIng is whatever
twill prevent evaporation from the soil, and
in American practice Is even extended II
mellow earth, keeping the surface of the
soil light by constant stirring so that it
will be a poor conductor of heat. Still, by
mulching, is generally understood the plac-
ing of some material upon the soil that will
prevent evaporation, and it is of little con-
sequence what this material may be. Chips,
sticks, tan-bark, sawdust, straw, litter from
the stables, leaves, grrss, or small stones
whatever will cover the ground and prevent
evaporation may be used as a muicn. We
have known coal ashes to be used, and
much virtue ascribed to the ashes, while
they only prevented TOO rapid evaporation.
We once visited a place upon which
there were macy line evergreens; tue
owner claimed that his success In planting
was due To placing fiat stones from a neigh
boring quarry around the newly set trees
The stones, no doubt did excellent service,
as any other stones would have done--they
simply served TO keep the ground beneath
them mOisJ-as mulch. The action OF a
mulch being merely mechanical, it makes
no differences as TO the material. The natural
mulch is leaves, which not only prevent
evaporation from below, but allow the rain
l. -.
of. the soil 1t lis no doubt within
the experience of every one that
the earth beneath stone. a
board, or whatever has lam upon
the surface, is always moist. This condition
may be produced over large surface by
merely covering it with anv material that
will prevent evaporation. With all newly
set plants, whether trees or small plants in
the garden, a little litter, or whatever may
be at hand, will be of great benefit. Let
anyone who doubts its value mulch part
of his straw berry bed and leave q part of il
uncovered; he will be convinced of the
value of mulching.
The Egg Plant.
The egg plant is perhaps the most thor
oughIy tropical of all garden vegetables, and
should not be put out until the soil is thor-
oughiy warmed, aud cool nights are over.
In the private garden so few plants are
needed that it is hardly worth while to be
at the trouble of raising them, as they can
be purchased cheaply. They should be
;va1 The -waruasf and richest Dlapa in the