The Van Buren press., 1901-07-06
EXTINCTION OF THE POTAro.
rhxeatened Through the Buddip.
Process Carried On Through
Many Generations. q,


II there should be no more supa,
cane in the world, beets might he
cultivated to take its place entirelv
but if there were no longer any No.
tatoes, the domestic economy of thou.
sands of humble homes would be seri.
ously deranged, and the deprivation
would be considerable even on the
most luxurious table. That the sugar
cane and the potato are in danger of
becoming degenerate and finally ex.
tinct has for some time been recop.
nized in botanical labora tories all over
the world. In this country the botani.
cal department of Harvard university
has gone into the matter with a good
deal of thoroughness, and expert.
ments have been undertaken to per.
petuate these valuable species, saws
the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The danger lies in the fact that both
have been propagated for so many
generations from buds-the sugar
cane from the joints of stalk, and the
potato from the eyes of the tuber-.
that they have almost lost the power
of producing fruitful seeds. For a
century or more, during which repro.
duction from buds can be successful.
ly continued, the fact that the seeds
themselves become sterile or dwindle
away and disappear, does not seem
particularly important. Finally, how.
ever, there comes a time, like the
present, when whole species shows
signs OF the deterioration which pre-.
cedes extinction, and it is then only
by crossing one plant with another
plant, or one variety with another va.
riety, that the life of the species can
be renewed. But if the plant has lost
its seed-producing faculty, such cross.
ing is evidently impossible, and the
degeneration must continue to its
logical result.
Sugar cane is, of course, one Of the
most valuable and important of agri.
cultural products. 1t is at present
grown in all warm countries, and the
plants for so or 100 plant generations
have been started from the buds
which spring from the joints Of the
cane. A section Of the stalk contain.
ing one of these generatiye joints is
planted and new stalk or group
springs up. the plantation being thus
maintained by portion of its prod.
| ucts. Meanwhile, as the plants ma.
ture, they put forth blossoms, which,
though as beautiful as they ever were
perhaps, are meaningless and unfruit.
| full When II was discovered by the
botanists that the sugar cane was los.
ing its power to produce fruitful seeds,
It was realized that such loss meant
inbreeding, as it would be called in the
case OF animals. and that, unless some
artificial means of restoration could
be employed the species would
eventually run out.
The potato is among the cheapest
Of all the cultivated foods, and while
II is generally known that it is re.
produced by budding, pieces Of the
tuber containing "eyes" being plant
ed in the ground, most readers will
be surprised to learn that potato seed
Is an almost unheard-of curiosity, In
the museum Of economic botany at
Harvard there are models Of potato
plants including the pink and white
blossoms and the grape.like fruit, but
this seed-contalnng fruit has become
so nearly extinct that few people, even
from the agricultural districts OF the
country, have ever seen II. In the
models, however 1t is clearly shown
that the potato is closely related to
the tomato, and the two-celled ar
rangement Of seeds is very similar in
the original fruit Of both plants,
The first years srop Of tubers from
. planting Of seed is generally too
small for commercial use, so that the
seeding process has Of late years been
almost entirely discontinued. The
budding method OF propagation has
been carried on TO such an extent that
II is rule for the blossoms to wlther
without fructihcation, and even In
the exceptional cases where fruit ap.
pears II is generally seedless and bar.
ren. As rule the small amount OF
seed which now survives the degenera.
alton Of the plant is likely to rot away
Immediately, so that the greatest care
and skill are required to secure the
growth Of seed plants, However, as
in the case OF the sugar cane, as the
common varieties are shown, by con-
trast with the hybrids. to be less val.
liable, the warning Of the botanists Is
being needed and science is being
called upon to point out the means OF
relief