The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-07-25
EXTINCTION OF THE POTATO
Threatened Through the BUDDING
Process Carried On Through
Many Generations.

If there should be no more sugar
cane in the world, beets might be
cultivated to take its place entirely
but if there were no longer any Pc.
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 recog-
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, says
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 a 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. \ section of the stalk contain
ing one of these generative joints is
| planted and 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 it was discovered by the
hot .
ing its power to produce fruitful seeds.
it was realized that such loss meant
inbreeding. as il 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
it 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 grapelike fruit, but
this seed-containing fruit has become
so nearly extinct that few people, even
| from the agricultural districts of the
country, have ever seen it. In the
models, however. it 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 crop of tubers from
a 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
| it is a rule for the blossoms to wither
| without modification, and even IN
the exceptional cases where fruit APP
pears it is generally seedless and bar
rem. 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.
WOman's Invention
When an alarm of fire is rung up in