The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-01
SELECTION Of
SEED POTATOES
REPORTER HUGHES or a. c.
GIVES OUT SOME VALUABLE
SUGGESTIONS FOR FARMERS
AND GARDENERS or THE STATE
TAKEN FROM U. 9. BULLETIN.

TAKEN FROM U. Q. BULLETIN.
North Dakota Is fast becoming
known for the quality OF it's potatoes.
They are In demand especially in the
southern markets for seed purposes"
says Hugh J. Hughes Of the A. 6.
news service. %But the yield of the
local fields, while UP to the general
average for the country, is iisanpoint-
ing"
II is hoped that the following ex-
cerpts from a late Bulletin Of the r..
Dept Of Agriculture may come to
the reader in time to be of some value
In the selection OF seed potatoes for
next springs planting:
Seed Selection.
The majority of farmers. even those
who make speciality OF potato grow
ing, acknowledge that they use for seed
the tubers that are too small TO sell
and some even tell boastfully how they
have followed that plan for many years
and are still raising the same variety.
1t Is at the same time noticeable That
farmer does not often exhibit a
variety Of potato which he has grown
consecutively for many years from
seed produced on his own farm. WHY
should variety OF potatoes ''run oute
and be discarded after a period Of
years any more than a variety Of corn
or apples? The common practice Of
psanting cu1l tubers very probably
explains In part the deterioration of q.
IN he
the potato plant Is in favorable en-
vironment so far as natural condi-
tons go. In contrast to the common
practice, an occasional farmer is to be
found who uses some care In the
choice OF seed stock Some take all.
Of the crop from that portion OF the
field which has the best stand and
gives the best yield, both In GUAM
ttty and quality. Others pick medium
sized tubers Of the desired shape and
general appearance from the bins after
the crop is in storage. These men
usually maintain the yield and quality
OF their potatoes somewhat above that
of their neighbors.
Selected by Hills.
An occasional potato grower is
heard Of who gets ahead rather more
rapidly by following more thorough
methods. One man In Michigan start
ed several years ago by saving a large
number Of separate hills OF potatoes.
Each hill was from one seed piece. and
only such hills as contained six or
more smooth tubers Of merchantabIe
size and no cuN tubers were saved OF
the potatoes grown in the field the
first year, only sixteen bushels out of
every one hundred were OF the stand
ard required. All the tuhers from
those hills were planted, and soon
enough seed was available for the en-
tire crop, the selection In subsequent
years being made from the most thrift
y-appearing portion of the field. After
the plan had been followed for i've
years seventy hills out OF one hundred
were found which met the require
ments, /. g., the percentage of good
hills had been increased from sixteen
TO seventy in FIVE years OF selection.
The yields on this farm were about
double those on the ordinary farm in
the same locality. and all the increased
yield could not be attributed to the
better culture Of the crop. The yield
ing power of the good hills Of pota-
toes in this case was not necessarily
increased at all, but the progeny Of
vigorous plants furnished more and
more OF the seed for the crop. The
writer has had the opportunity to Sc
lect some hills Of Rural New Yorker
potatoes for two years. The first
year eight per cent of the hills were
saved, and OF the crop grown from that
eight per cent the second year there
were found to be twenty per cent
which met the requirements.
Northern Grown Potatoes.
AS the northern potato growing
states furnish not only the seed for
their own crop but that for the early
crop throughout the south, the pro-
ductiveness OF the standard varieties
of potatoes must be maintained in the
north. The Improvement In yield of
an old variety, well tried out, is vast
ly more important than the originating
and promoting Of new varieties, and
this latter task should be left to the
specialist.
To the potato grower who would
improve his potatoes In yield and
quality q few general directions can
be given, as follows:
Dig a few hundred hills by hand
out OF the most thrifty appearing por-
ton Of the field and let each hill lie
By itself when dug. From, them select
such hills as comply with the standard
suggested. no matter how small per-
centage OF such hills Is obtained. BY
planting these selected hills in a few
separate rows and digging them the
season in the same way the
first selection was made the WORK ~ |