Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1901-08-14
SAYING THE POTATO.
Un.ess Science Interfsres Tbs VAL
liable Food Viii Run Out.
lis Extinction Threatened Through
the Propagation for Many Gem
eTations Through Buds
Facts About the Seed

II there should be no more sugar
cane IN the world, heets might be
catsNated to take its pace entirely,
tut II taere were no longer any po-
tatoes, the domestic economy Of thuu-
sands of humble homes would lee seri-
ous!y deransed, ard the deprivation
would be considerable even on the
m 81 luxurious table. That the sugar
cane and The potato are in danger of
becoming degenerate and finally ex-
tinet has for some time been recog-
nlEsd n botanical labora tor.ss al over
The world II this country u hotani-
ca department of Harvard university
has gene rs he matter With coed
deal of thoroughness, and expert
ments have been undertaken to per-
pete2te these valuable species, says
tae 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 tuher-
that they have almost lost the power
of producing fruitful seeds. Fer
century or more, during which repro
Gaction from bu3s can be successful
j. continued, the fact that the seeds
themselves become sterile or dwindle
away and disappear, does no. seem
particularly important. Finally, how
eTer, these comes time. Ike the
present, when a whole species shows
S rs OF tie deterioration which pre-
cedss extinction, and Il is then only
by crossing one plant with another
plant. or one variety with smother va
rely, that the lie Of the species can
he renewed. But if the plant has lost
its seed-producing faculty, such cross
ing is evidently impossible, ard the
degeneration must continue to its
log.eal result.
SUGAR cane is, of course. one of the
most valuable and important, of aeri-
cultural products. 1t IS at present
grown in all warm countries, ard the
p'&nts for SO or 100 plant generations
have been started from the buds
WI eh spring from the joints OF the
cane. y section of the stalk contain.
ing one of these generative joints il
plaStcd and rev stalk or crnur
springs up. the plantation benz thus
N. ned by a portion OF is rr,d
ucts. Meanwhile, as the PSI & ma.
tire, they put forth blossoms. which
thouoh as beautiful as they ever we're
rerhans. are MEANINGLESS and unfruit.
full When it was discovered " the
hotan'sts that the SMEAR care was los
ing its power to produce Hitful seeds
1t was realized that such j loss meant
inhreedirw, as it would be called N III
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 cheapes:
OF al The cultivated foods. ard while
1t rs reuegaly known that 1t is re-
produced by bidding, pieces Of The
tuher CO aiming "eyes" bein~ plant
Cd IN The GROUND. most re.sers wil
le s'sraeised to learn that potato sce9
is an almost unhearg-of curiosity. II
the m 7seam Of eeano11c botanv &
Harvard .here are models ef.rofet
p'aa.s I. elading tic pirk : 4 ah'tt
hose - and the grape-l''-, r. -
this eeed-coatainino fruit la te5om.
so nearly extinct that few neople. ever
from the AGRICULTURAL districts Of the
country, haye ever seer It. IN the
models, however, il is clearly shown
that the notato is closely relf ed to
the tomato, and the two-csl,ed ar
arrangement of seeds IS verv similar in
The original fruit of both plants.
The first years crop of tuhers 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 props gation has
been carried on to such an extent that
it is a rule for the blossoms to wither
without frnctifcation, and even in
the exceptional cases where fruit APP
pears it is generally seedless and bar
rem. As a rule the small amount of
seed which now survives the de~enera-
alton of the plant is likely to rot away
Immediately, so that the prea test care
and skill are required To secure the
growth OF seed plants. FeweYer. ms
In the case of the su~ar cane, as the
CO m non varieties are shown, hv con-
trast with the hvhr' Ids. to he less val
liable. the warninp of the hotanists is
heing needed and science is beng
called upon to point out the means of
relief.