Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-06-09
Modern Potato Cultivation.

The greatest interest now centers
around to the propagation of new va
riet:es of potato The English farm
er is now tasting Injuries that have
not been his before. Those who in the
past have made as much as G 100 ster-
ling off an acre of potatoes have been
regarded as singularly fortunate men,
and to be respected During the last
year or two it has been no uncommon
thing for more than $1,000 to be made
from an acre. In the past when new
variety possessing special value has
been brought out it has been the pTac-
tice for those who held the stock to
get up a considerable bulk before Of
fering for sale; this is, of course, a
new variety was grown on contract by
farmers at a price which left them a
small margin of profit; the holder of
the stock raked in the big fortune
which a really good new potato brings
to the lucky possessor. Often others
in the seed trade, seeing it was a
good variety, have got hold of stock
of this sort, and after getting sufficient
to make it worth while exploiting, and
after remaining it, have put it on the
market as though it were another new
variety, for which they have charged
high prices. Farmers in the past
have as a rule taken so little interest
N potato growing that they have not
known when stock has been re-
named, and have foolishly paid much
more than had they bought from the
original stock. The main point, how
ever, has been that they could not
get hold of stock while it was in
small quantity and at really a high
price; and therefore they could not get
high price for their produce
A great change. has come over the
business now, and it is mainly due to
the methods of Mr.. Findlay, who has
brought out practically all the main
crop varieties which have been ex-
tensively cultivated during recent
years. The prince, up to date, British
queen, ever-good, royal kidney, and
northern star, besides others of good
this successful breeder and have
formed an unbroken line Of success
against which others have not been
able to successfully compete. More
over, it has given growers confidence
that he will not bring out any but
such as will make a great mark for
themselves He raises so many, and
eliminates all that show any weakness,
that with his long experience there is
no need for him to weaken his expor-
tation by bringing out variety which
will not prove valuable. Having got
this variety, and while it is a small
monopoly, he is willing to share it with
the farmer, charging them, properly,
a high price for a share in it. Now,
this is what farmers have learned,
that there is nothing so profitable to
secure as a small stock to develop as
rapidly as possible, so as to get stock
while it is highly valuable. Were he to
wait until he had 100 tons the profit
to the farmers would be lessened;
therefore, before he has as many hun
dredweights the farmer gets his
chance.
How profitable this developing of
Findlay's new sorts has been of late
is common knowledge. The evergood
and the northern star have brought to
farmers hitherto unknown wealth.
But associated With this has been the
development of the new varieties by
growing from each eye, so that each
eye produces a plant. Although few
have done this for some time. II is only
during the last year or two that it has
become general. For many years ex-
periments have been between cut and
uncut sets, and the advantage IN in
dividual plants has, as rule, been
in favor of the uncut These exper.-