The Greeley tribune., 1906-03-08

nounced the results of most of these
experiments to be Of a negative
nature. In other words, they had
proven nothing.
Experiments With Potatoes.
The experiments were taken up at
the college farm to ascertain why no
potatoes grew under big, healthy
looking tops, in the vicinity of Fort
Collins. The experiments soon
showed that 1T was a parasital
fungus that enveloped the roots or
tubers and literally choked them to
death. Evidence Of the presence Of
the same fungus was found in the
Greeley district, and an elaborate
series Of experiments with remedies
was carried out on the s. A. Brad
field and the Bliss Brothers. ranches
In treating seed potatoes with cor
rosive sublimate or formalin. At
the end Of these the professor con-
fessed no satisfactory results had
been obtained. He could therefore
not recommend this treatment as an
effective remedy against the fungus.
Experiments with commercial fer
tilizer for potatoes met with just as
negative results. Phosphoric acid,
potash and nitrogen, in some form
we're the substances used, and. while
with some combinations of these
Ingredients they thought at times
to have obtained some beneficial re-
suits these were not pronounced
enough, so that he could recommend
commercial fertilizer for potatoes.
Seed potatoes, Prof. Paddock be-
lieved, could be produced right here
at home, of better variety for con-
ditions here than any that were
shipped in here from the east. One
farmer near Lucerne, whose name he
did not give, had for number OF
years produced his own seed potatoes
and was obtaining better results than
from the foreign seed. Another
farmer near Longmont had been u.s.
ing the same kind Of potatoes for fif-
teen years. without renewing the
seed, and was obtaining better re-
suits than when he first started.
The professor believed it would be
possible to produce a Greeley strain
of potatoes that would be practically
disease resisting and also combine all
of the other desirable qualities.
But it would take time and money
to DO this, and thoroughly capable
man should be employed to devote
his entire time to the scientific study
and development Of potatoes In the
Greeley district.
This, Prof. Paddock believed,
would be the best way TO obtain the
desired end in the potato business.
Owing to the difference in soil con.
dltions at the college experiment
farm and the Greeley district 1t was
almost impossible to obtain the
needed data there for the proper
study of the tubers. Scabby potatoes
are practically unknown on that
farm, hence the study of this disease
is somewhat hampered.
Eugene II. Grubb was called upon
to tell something about European
methods of obtaining the right kind
of seed potatoes. He stated that in
England the greatest effort to secure
the right kind of seed was being
made. A disease resisting. nourish-
ing potato of large tonnage was the
object sought, and enormous sums
of money we're spent each year in ex-
periments. He said it was not un-
usual for person to pay 1926 for the
output of one single hill of potatoes,
because these looked promising for
seed. More often than not. how
ever, this strain would run out in
two or three years, and then new
ones had to be found.
Oom04ttc Animals.
Some types of domestic animals
was the subject of talk by Prof.
w. l.. Carlyle of the Agricultural
college. First he gave some of the
good points of milking COW. He
took for an example the fine Holstein
COW, Jollie Johanna, owned by the
college, and which is considered the
finest specimen of that breed ever
imported, and which took grand
prize at the St. Louis worlds fair.
One of the first essentials of a good
milk COW was length and depth Of
body, with large and good digestive
organs. The amount of food that
COW could digest and assimilate
largely determined the amount OF
milk she would give. Sixteen pounds
of dry matter day was about what
a COW needed to live on. Ii then
she had capacity for assimilating
30 pounds Of food matter, half of this
would 20 to making milk. Another