Lewiston inter-state news. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1905-1906, 1905-11-03
IMPROVING 1hE POTATO,
fresh Work ON Latest and Promfs-
ing Lines In Vermont.

Burlington, Vt.-The increasing eco
! noInic Importance Of the potato as al
article Of food and its seeming greater
propensity to disease, especially to thu
late blight" have resulted in a wide
spread interest as to the best methods
Of combating the diseases affecting 1t
For some years past as well as at pres
ent this interest has manifested itsell
In the development Of fungicidal spray.
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 a 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 cowpea and cotton.
A belief In the Importance of intro.
ducing new blood into our cultivated
varieties Of potatoes and thereby in
creaslng 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 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
80 extensively written up lately rs dis.
ease resistant. and also Of some Next
can varieties.
In 1908 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 commersonil obtained
from Dr. Z. Hoeckel, Marseiles.
France; Solanum polyadenium obtain
ed from Mexico In 1903 by the veteran
hybridist, Mr.. G. 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, Sutton's
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 81
size. Sutton's Discoverr
possibly on account Of its not beins
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 1903 few plants in the. varieties
grown were observed to remain green
longer than the others. Tubers from
these were 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.
most instructive experiment was
conducted with 800 seedlings grown
from naturally fertilized seed ball.
lhis 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 v,eor
les IN the production Of new varieties
from seed. Proper fertilization and
good ti'lage are also important aids In
Increasing the vigor and disease resist
ance powers Of the vine.
Latest Impressions.
Among fair differences from the work ,
I appears that LIBERALIZATION and the
|rowing OF seeding plants, followed by
'areful selection. seem to offer a more |
ogical method Of securing disease re-
Instant varieties than does selection.