Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1905-06-29
IMPROVING THE POTATO.
Fresh Work on Latest and Promise
Ing Lines In Vermont.


Fresh Work ON Latest and Promise
Ing Lines Ia Vermont.
Burlington, YtThe increasing eco
nonlic Importance of the potato as an
article Of food and its seeming greater
propensity to disease, especially to the
slate blight have resulted in a wide.
spread interest as to the best methods
of combating the diseases affecting it,
For some years past as well as at pres
ent this interest has manifested itself
in the development of fungicidal sprays
designed to hold in check or wholly
prevent late blight. More recently,
however, another phase of this study
has presented itself, that of develop
ing plant immune to disease. This
departure from the old methods is
largely due to- the results that have
been obtained along these lines with
| the eowpea and cotton.
A belief in the Importance of intro
ducing new blood into our cultivated
varieties of potatoes and thereby in
creasing their vigor has led William
Stuart, the horticulturist Of the Yer
mont experiment station, to most val
liable and interesting work in this line.
In fact, he gives in a recent station
publication what is perhaps the first
definite information for the United
States as to the Solanum commersonii
variety from Uruguay, which has been
SO extensively written up lately as dis
ease resistant, and also of some Mexi-
can varieties.
In 1903 out of nine varieties tested
Rust Proof showed greatest vine resist
ance, and Dakota Red stood next. In
1904, among twenty-nine varieties,
which included Sutton's Discovery
from England, a Peruvian variety of
the common potato, two common varie-
ties cultivated in New Mexico (desig
mated in the test as Mexican and Mon
terey), Solanum commersonii obtained
from DR.. E. Hoeckel, Marseilles,
France; Solanum polyadenium obtain
ed from Mexico in 1903 by the veteran
hybridist, Mr. c. G. Pringle of the
State university and Solanum stoloni-
ferium from the same source
Results of Two Years.
OF the varieties tested for two sea
sons Dakota Red showed the smallest
amount of rot and, with the exception
of Rust Proof, the best vine resistant
qualities. OF the accessions to the list
in 1904 the Mexican variety Monterey
showed the best disease resistance of
vine followed with Solanum polyade-
mum, Solanum commersonii, Suttons
Discovery, June and Mexican in the or
der named. All of these varieties
showed absolute freedom from rot
when harvested. All of the above men
toned Mexican varieties and species,
also Solanum commersonii, produced
but few tubers, and these were not of
merchantable size Suttons Discovery.
possibly on account of its not being
acclimated, gave very light crop Of
rather small tubers, very few of which
were marketable AT present Mr.. stu
art does not feel justified in recon-
mending any of the more disease re-
sistant varieties for commercial plant
ing.
New Varieties From, seed.
In 1908 few plants in the varieties
grown were observed to remain green
longer than the others. Tubers from
these We're planted in 1904 AS far as
could be noted no increased disease re-
sistant qualities were transmitted to
the offspring of these plants nor did
selection give any greater immunity
! from scab.
A most instructive experiment was
conducted with 800 seedlings grown
from naturally fortified seed balls.
This proved an object lesson in the ex-
IRENE vigor of some of the plants,
showing quite plainly that one Of the
best sources for increasing the yigor
lies in the production of new varieties
from seed. Proper fertilization and
good tillage are also important aids in
increasing the vigor and disease resist
ance powers of the vine
Latest Impressfons.
Among fair differences from the work
it appears that hybridization and the
growing of seeding plants, followed by
careful selection, seem to offer a more