Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1905-01-13
SAVE POTATO SEED.
Do Not Try to Raise Crop from the
Left-0vers In the Bin in
the Spring.

II would have been well to have Sc
ected potato seed in the field, when
the formation and thrift of the top
could be taken into consideration, and
when the number of well-formed and
medium-sized potatoes in the hills
in part as a determining quantity,
For 1t is not enough that a tuber be
Of good size; it is desired that 1t be
one of many of the same size growing
from the same stalk. But the time
for that kind of selection is past and
the farmer must do the next best thing,
1t has been the habit of many of our
farmers to put their potatoes in bins
in the cellar, retaining for themselves
for food and seed one large bin full,
The potatoes in this bin are repeatedly
picked over for cooking, till, when plant
ing time came in the spring, most of the
potatoes left were small ones. The
planting of these small tubers does not
affect the crop the first year, but, when
continued it does materially injure the
size of the tubers grown and otherwise
deter the crop.
1t must be remembered that the high
quality we now have in potato varieties
was put there by constant selection and
breeding, and not by breeding alone.
We cannot ignore this and retain the
| value of any variety. The running
out" of varieties is due to very large
extent to the lack of care that is shown
them by the man that cultivates them
In the selection. Of potatoes in the
bin few important points have to be
looked out for. One of these is to select
mediums tubers. There is no oh.
ject in selecting overgrown tubers. Tn!
day of big things has gone by. We want
a medium-sized potato because that size
Is best for cooking and is economical in
preparing for the table. A small potato
IS largely wasted unless it be cooked II
its skin. A common method is to pee
potatoes before they are cooked, and fol-
such work small potato is undersira
BILE. Small potatoes are largely unsal
able, Big potatoes take too long tt
cook, and therefore are not regarded
highly by the housewife.
A good deal of attention should b.
paid to the smoothness of the potato
as smooth potato is more economical
to use than an uneven one. A potato
with knobs all over it should not b.
selected for seed. 1t is not desirabl
to propagate the knobs, as they ar
practically so much waste material
Another thing that should be locke,
after carefully is the formation Of tn
eyes, whether they are near the surfac
or are sunk deep into the potato. TIL
ones that lie near the surface are tn
ones that should be propagated
The deep eyes are the cause of nue.
loss in preparing potatoes for tn
table. The one that digs them out
very seldom careful to cut close, an
the deep and wasteful gouges great
reduce the edible portion Of the pc
tato.
Uniformity should be regarded 1
making the selection, as that adds some
thing to the selling, value of potatoes
1t will be seen that the selection shout
be made at as early period as possible
as 1t will be difficult to get a uniform Ia
even at this time. After many of the pc
tatoes are used or sold it will be sti
more difficult.
The above process repeated year b
year will give an improvement in tn
variety being grown, and it is doubt
! full If variety so treated will run out q
, all.-Farmers' Review.