Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-05-24

That it has a future before it he thinks
probable; but it is not yet certain
whether this may be reached sooner by
cultivation and selection, or by cross
ing with the ordinary variety. AS il
| stands at present the species, the hardy,
! is too bitter to be edible. Says NJ.
! Rudolph:
THE plant is not new one, having
been described by Dunal in 1922 A
native of Brazil it is very viEor-
Gus and reaches the height of about
60 centimeters 1.-TWO feet), producing
numerous subterraneanc reepers, throw
ing out at intervals aerial stems each
bearing a tuber at the base. These
tubers are of variable form, spherical.
pear shaped, or egg-shaped; hitherto
! they have varied in size from that OF
; nut to that of a hens egg. These
tubers are soft. and of yellowish tint :;
the eyes are well marked, but not deep
ly sunken. The proportion of starch
is from II to 20 per cent.
1T is to DR.. Heckel, director Of the
Marseilles Botanic garden, that we
owe the introduction of this new
Solanum to cultivation. He has grown
it since 1896 without having observed
other variation than progressive de-
velopment of the tubers. which in
creased in weight from three to $50
I'm the Solanum Commersoni we have
spontaneous type, from which cult
walton has already removed it's natural
characteristics, as it long ago removed
those of our ordinary potatoes, OF which
we have now-6lore than 500 different
varieties and forms. -.
''The plant is vigorous, resists dis
ease, may remain in the ground all win
ter grows in most soil, and is very
productive. The vigor of the plant is
real, but it is a great runner. which is
not good quality. 1t does away with
killing, or course, but from the point
of view of the digger it is great la
Dor to search for potatoes over the
whole surface of a field, not daring to
leave a single corner untouched.
Its resistance to disease seems GER
tain at present but plant disease
do not usually appear until after they
have been long cultivated; and there
is nothing to show that this species will
prove more refractory than others.
Zone of the best points would seem
to be it's rusticity; that is, its abil-
ity to winter in the earth. which is es-
pecially valuable in mild climates,
where it can thus be dug as needed.
''Its ability to flourish in moist or
marshy places is also one of its best
qualities for our ordinary potatoes pre-
fer a light, dry soil. This will enable
the farmer to place under cultivation
soils that have hitherto remained un-
productive, and is possibly it's great
est merit
''The most important question re-
mains quality of the product. OF
this little has been said, except that
it may be eaten by cattle, but that the
tubers are bitter and that several more
years Of cultivation are needed before
they will become really edible. This
may easily be realized; for. it is impos-
sible to change in a short time the food
value of plant SO as to adapt it to our
tastes.
":rhis is the plant: let us see now
what may be made of it. Two ways are
open before it, that of selection and
that of hybridization. Both are good
practically.
''To sum up: We have here spon-
taneous type of potato that it Is our
business to try to improve, for it is
perhaps possible to obtain favorable
results; but in cases like This we must
be careful not to be carried away by
the magic of numbers and by the sup
posed merits Of a plant before being
able to control the exactitude OF the
data. =. -
I'm any case. this impartial study
has for Its object to let our readers
know what has been said since 1896
about this potato. in which We may see.
In the course of time, new element in
the development of one Of our best
foods 49, ~