The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-05-24
FARM AND GARDEN.
SEED POTATOES.

Extracts from Paper Read by Prof Il.
s. GoT Before n wisconsin Farmcrs'
Institute.
Five years ago we took up this ques-
tion at the station, starting on the as
sumption that the running out OF pota-
toes is due to lack Of proper selection
Of seed. In the year 1884 we commenced
the experiment. In order to answer tho
question in the shortest possible time
we determined to select from the strong
est hills on the one hand, in order to
increase the vigor of one set of plants,
and from the weakest hills on the other
hand, in order to decrease the vigor of
another set of plants. In the fall OF
1883 we ordered our men, while they
were digging our variety tosts of pota-
toes, to put the potatoes of each hill
carefully by themselves. While these
potatoes lay on the ground drying L
passed over the rows and examined each
hill, one by one. l then selected the
1ill of each row that contained the larg-
est number of fine, smooth, salable po-
tatoes, and put this hill into asmall sack
and labeled it "Best hill of White STAR"
or s'Best hill of American Giant" etc
After had gone over ten varieties in
this way l returned and selected the
bill from each row that had the small
est number of merchantable tubers.
These smallest hills were put into sacks
and carefully labeled, when all were
put into the cellar, where they were
left until the next spring. While we
were getting ready to plant these di-
ficult question arose. The potatoes
from the strongest hills were larger on
the average than those from the least
productive hills. 1t would be expected,
therefore, that they would yield more,
because our other experiments gener-
ally showed that large tubers are more
productive than small ones. How could
we eliminate these difficulties, so that
we should be sure that whatever differ
ences in yield we secured would be due
to the selection of the seed and not to
the difference in the size of the seed
tubers? The following plan was adopt
ed: We took the two sacks of each va
riety, that is, the best and the poorest
hills, and picked out the largest from
each, and cut these to single eyes.
Sometimes these two potatoes were of
the same size. But whether they were
Or not the single eye-cutting did not
differ much in size, because, as a rule,
the larger the tuber of given variety,
the larger will be the number of eyes.
We then planted the single eyes Of
each of these tubers in short row by
themselves, and labeled the one best
.tubers from best hill, White Star, and
the other best tubers from smallest
hill, White Star, etc. Next we picked
out the smallest tubers from the same
hills, and planted these in the same
way. In the fall the crop was dug, each
hill being put by itself, and the same
selections made for another year, and
in 1885 the same experiment was repeat
ed. In the fall of this year potatoes
rotted badly and we were unable to
make the selections. We therefore
waited until the following year, when
we made the same kind of selections
from all the varieties we were. testing,
eighty. three in number. The results of
all these tests show that the tubers from
the most productive hill yielded most
in every trial. What is still more strik-
ing, the yield of the smallest tubers
from the most productive hill was more
than that of the largest tubers from
the least productive hill. We may fairly
assume that had the yield of the best
hills been compared with that of the
average hills, the difference would have
been half as great, or about sixteen
bushels per acre.
We have this much then to pay for
the trouble of selecting the seed, added
to the prospect that the potatoes will
increase in productiveness from year to
year. When potatoes are not dug by
horse power the increased trouble re-
quired to gather seed potatoes from the
most productive hills is very slight.
Simply have a man walk along each
row with bag hung over his shoulder,
and gather each strikingly productive
hill. / would adyise to gather only
those hills that have produced large
number of tubers of good size and uni
form shape, and very few small ones.
These seed potatoes had better be
stored in cool cellar, where they will
not sprout. But some will say there is
no use of taking this trouble, because
when one variety runs out we can buy
new ones. Yes, but can you afford to
let variety run out on your hands?
Suppose you secure variety that suits
you in quality, form and season, and is
productive, If it loses in productiveness
three bushels per acre each year, for
ten years, the fifth year you grow that
variety you will lose fifteen bushels per
acre; the sixth, eighteen; the seventh.
twenty-one; the eighth, twenty-four;
the ninth. twenty-seven, and the tenth,
thirty. If you want to buy new va
riety you must pay some one else for
taking the pains that you might and
ought to have taken yourself
Improved Tree and Plant Label
We show cut of an improved label
devised by that venerable nurseryman,