The Red Cloud chief., 1901-07-26
SAVING THE POTATO.
Unless Science Interferes This VAL
liable Food Will Run Out.
It's Extisction Threatened Through
the Propagation for Many Gen
sratiOns Through 4
Facts About ths ossA.

II there should be no more sugar
cane in the world. beets might be
cultivated TO take its place entirely,
but IL there were no longer any po-
| tatoes, the domestic economy Of thou
sands Of humble homes would be seri-
ously %derapHed, 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 recog-
nized In botanical laboratories all over
the world. In this country the botani-
cal department Of Harvard university
deal Of thoroughness, and expert.
ments have been undertaken to per-
Petuats these valuable spsciss. says
the Cincinnati Enquirer.
The danger lies In the fact that both
have beer propagated for 90 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 .
century or more during which repro
duction from buds can be successful
~ continued, the fact hat 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 q whole species shows
| sirns ~ tho I.tar lon .rktnh nra-
ccdes 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 10 its
logical result.
Sugar cane is. OF course, one of the
most valuable and important of agri-
%,culiural products. 1t is at present
grown in all warm countries. and the
plants for 80 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 n of these generative joints is
planted and a new stalk or group
springs up. the plantation being thus
maintained by "a 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 Il was discovered by the
%botanists that the sugar cane was los
ing its power to produce fruitfulseeds.
II was realized that such a loss mean
inbreeding. as II would he called in the
case of animals, and that. unless some
artificial means of restoration could
be employed, the species would
Eventually u out.
The potato is among the cheapest
lof all the cultivated foods. and while
ii is generally known that il is re.
produced by budding. pieces Of the
tuber containing eyes" being plant.
led in the ground, most readers viii
be surprised to learn that potato seed
is an ain ost unheard-of curiosity. IN
the museum Of economic botany al
Harvard there are models of potat,
plants including the pink and whit,
blossoms and the grape-tike fruit. bu,
this seed-contairing fruit has becom,
so nearly extinct that few people, ever
from the agricultural districts of tn,
country. "A ever seen IL. In tn,
models. however, il is clearly shown
that the potato is closely related tt
the tomato. and the two-celled ar
rangement Of seeds is very similar il
the original fruit Of both plants.
The irst years crop Of tubers from
n planting Of seed 10 generally to,
small for commercial use. 50 that thu
seeding process has Of late years beef
almost entirely discontinued. Tn,
budding method Of propagation ha'
been carried on to such All extent tina
1T is a rule for the blossoms to withel
without qualification, and ever il
the exceptional cases where fruit ap
pears il is generally seedles. and bar
rem. As a rule the small amount o
seed which now survives the degenera
alton Of the plant is likely to rot ava,
! Immediately, 80 that the greatest ear
and skill are required to secure tn
growth of seed plants. However, II
in the case of the sugar cane, Ms tn
common varieties are shown, by con
: trast with the hybrids. to be less va
liable. the warning of the bOtanists !
{ being needed and science 10 beinI
called upon to point out the means o
r relief.
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