Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-11-30
ro,a.ee....Thr sur,t,aI OF the Et,,s.r

AONatoeA-H' AN HuUNANd Al OF Aue hAAGNAs
For tine past eighteen years, L. +. smith
Of Waterbury has been making ms potatoes
conform to the DarwInian theory by the care
ful selection Of the best for seed de gives
the result Of his experience III a communics-
ton 10 the n. L. Farmer. livery one VINO
raises potatoes should reEd 1t
In the Farmer Of Oct. -. there WAS an Item
copied from the Utica Herald. in which the
writer gives his experience In ''regenerRting'
potatoes by the selection OF seed. and a. !
mad obtained little experience in this matter
l thought ! would venture to give it, hoping
10 near the experience of others also. relative
TO the running out OF potatoes, or the reverse,
by the selection of seed or otherwise Most
people seem 10 assume that it Is al inherent
quality OF the tubers 70 run out. and thev are
not disappointed TO have them do SO.
In Adam & fall we sinned al hence tine
necessity OF regeneration may Oe correct the
oogy, but need not be applicable 10 the diff
terent varieties Of potatoes. II 80, why can
not they be improved mp to q certain point
ana Tor period OF time And If TINS can be
done Tor a while, why CAL II not DE continued
longer assume that any variety may be
made 10 not only hold their own. as regards
quantity and quality Of the annual crop. but
can be actually improved and carried even
beyond the original standard IN these re-
spects
/ nave made experiments extending over d
period Of thirty years-tweive years IL ruu-
ming out different kinds. according to the Gus
tom OF my fathers. and eighteen years by
careful selection of seed. and nave been re
generating ana preventing from degeners-
ting. and / am fully convinced that no good
quality Of a potato need be lost by constau,
planting, and also, that, after having been
caused TO run out 10 great extent It can be
q
Of seed without change IL the nature OF soils
or mode Of cultivation. though these NAV be
made powerful auxiliaries IN the process.
1t has been my practice to plant each year
four OF nve OF the most popular varieties AZ
nrst lightly, ana after a year s test, retain or
reject as ] think best II ] cannot obtain d
yield OF 800 bushels per acre and of uniform
good quality, by ordinary ield culture under
favorable conditions, / drop the kind SO fail
ing ana try another True, / 90 not aiways
get so large yield OF any kind, for the reR-
son that plant many times under unfsvors
bic conditions Of soil or fertilization using
such fertilizers as / nave and planting OF
sucn places as / wish TO cultivate, and this
ranging all the way from drained swamp and
sti1 clay, TO light SAND or loan OF course
the Results wlll vary accordingly. But that
good iaud with good supply of fertilizer can
easily be made TO produce al the above men
toned rate. nave fully demonstrated many
times
/ have retained but one kind during the
thirty years OF cultivation. and that Is the
jackson White, and on this ! rely for the sup
ply Of my family, deemlng II, all things con
sldered. the best Of all have ever raised
have kept the Early hose ever since It's intro
uucuOu ana use this Tor early supply
In stating what nave accomplished by the
selection OF seed, shall give my experience
with but one sort, and that the one / nave
longest planted, though l nave found the
practice quite as beneficial with all other
kinds / nave tried
When commenced this practice. eighteen
years ago, the jackson was q leading variety
IN the eastern markets. but was badly run out
with me, as ! could obtain q yield of only
about 80 or go bushels per acre Of table pota.
toes, and many were rejecting il on this ac-
count ana many others because there was So
much waste TO the crop when they did yield
vel, IL consequence of its habit OF growing
lli-snaped and hollow. / could MOI see why
ike would not produce like here as elsewhere
ana began 10 select seed II time Of hRrves.
as / would seed corn, choosing medium sized
symmetrical tuUers, and the result mas beer
that they now grow a. smooth and regular a.
any kind / know Of. and for several YEAR
nave harvested al tie rate Of TWO bushels per
square rod OF ground planted, and not more
than nye per cent Of the crop be untt for ID
bic use from all causes There Is not peel
IN 80 bushels witn any signs OF q mob OF
then, and have not seen d hollow Oh,
amongst them for several years. The bull
OF the crop range IN weight from 10 10 Gun
ces each. though some attain to the weight OF
pound or more
l shall pursue this practice Of allowing only
the survival OF the ttt est until ind bette
way, and / will add that the better the treat
ment m other respects, the better the cro1
has been with me, almost invariably. 1 sci
my surplus for family use at home, side by
side with others. solely on their merits. fo
at least nifty per cent more than the average
ana some for seed, even higher than this
Now for the difference Ia the profits Al
average crop here is 100 bushels per acre
and the price this year 90 cents per bushel
II this yield only be doubled, and ] did muel
better than that, then i have 200 buahels. aut
sold mine 20 families whom 1 have been
supplying yeaIs back, for 80 cents per bushe
this year and here, IN one case, We have
value Of $50 per acre for tie crop. aud IN tht
other case ellO, and this advantage is game,
mainly by the proper selection Of seed
'
yEsErlSr o great psnaees ior our aged father