The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1885-10-02

should be gathered before the appea r
ance of frost, dried in the shade, ana
carefully packed in paper bags.
The Eye Of the Potato.
During recent years, writes Penn
sylvania correspondent of The Country
Gentleman, much has been written
about the culture of the potato. All
the various phases of the subject have
been treated, from the breaking of the
ground to the disposal of the crop in
the market. We have learned much
as to the mechanical preparation of
the soil, of manures and fertilizers, as,
well as the general treatment of the
crop during growth. Single eye, two
eyes, half and whole potato planting,
was discussed and advocated by differ
ent writers. The argument for single
eye cultivation are: ''More large tub
ers, closer planting, and consequently
a more profitable crop. My investi-
cations into the structure of the So
called ''eye" of the potato convince me
that single eye planting is in most.
plants in accordance with natural laws
of growth. We all have seen how a
vigorous shoot on some tree or shrub
has absorbed the sap SO that smaller,
shoots below very slowly developed or
eventually died off. The so-called
law of Survival of the fittest'' would
seem to be well illustrated in the.
growth of our high forest trees by the
vigorous growth of the topmost
branches and death of tie lower ones.
Since the potato tuber is nothing
else than an underground branch,
what we call an eye is analogous to a
leaf or fower-bud on branches above
ground, many of these buds produc-
ing a number of leaflets or flowers, as
in case of the cherry or apple. The
same number of shoots are produced
by the eye of the potato; thus, in ex-
amlning them under a microscope,
we find from one to six germs in an
eye. In the early rose seldom met
with more than three, while burbank,
beauty of Hebron, and snowflake have
as high as six germs or buds. Now, in
all l have examined, l invariably
found the central germ to be from two
to four times the size of any of the
other; some which had sprouted to
the length of nearly an inch were ex-
amined, and, in a few instances only,
showed any of the minor germs which
had doubtless been absorbed by the
central one. Again the few that were
left did not increase in size, showing
that the more vigorous growth of the
central germ prevents the develop
ment. of the minor ones.
The presence of the minor germs
Cor buds) is a wise provision of ma
ture.. In case OF an accident to the
main germ, the minor ones will devel-
op, and in this way they serve to pre-
serve. the species. Letting potatoes
sprout before planting, and then rub
bing them off, must necessarily be in
furious to the eyes, as it requires the
of the minor germs, which
will be weaker, unless an abundant
supply of plant food is at hand and
the weather is favorable at the time of
planting. If this central or main
germ is. allowed to develop, we get
one vigorous plant, and may expect
large tubers; while, on the other hand,
if the eye is forced to develop its mi
nor germs, they will all have an equal
chance, and the result will be proba-
bly from two to five stalks none of
which will be strong enough to pro-
duce large tubers.
Here it seems to me an advantage is
to be gained by using stimulating
fertilizer in the hill or drill, since that
will aid the vigorous growth of the
main germ in such way as that the
minor germs will, perhaps, not de-
velop, and one strong plant will be the
result. Many writer's have found diff
ferences in the yield of ''stem end"
and ssseed end" eyes as well as ''mid-
Io15 T hot both or nd
seed end eyes have smaller buds than
middle eyes. The seed end eyes are
more crowded, and since they are sit
uaued at the growing end of the tub
ers the eyes are not SO fully developed.
plenty of room, and yet the buds are
smaller than the middle ones. The
claim that they produce later tubers
is no doubt true. since they lack the |
start that the middle eyes have. |
Owing to the presence OF considera-
BILE protoplasm, which was not con-
sumed in the previous seasons growth,
the seed end eyes may mature some
what earlier than the central ones. A
suggestion to cultivators may not be
out of place here-namely, that they
make observation as to the number of
stalks produced in single eye planting,
to see how many of the minor germs
will develop. The yield of the potato
varies so much in quantity that we
ought to be interested in the causes of
these differences, and ask ourselves
how much of this can be ascrlbed to
the mechanical preparation of the soil,
how much to manures and fertilizers, ;.
how much to the conditions of the sea-
sons, and last, but not least, how much
10 our mode of planting the tuber.
Industrial Brevfties.
The substitution of glass flooring for
boards continues to increase in PARIS,