The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-10-04

expect 10 JuuRe ne lalneSh, Welgnt,
condition, or value of a beef animal
by looking at or judging them from
ITS head or legs, though some things
might be determined from these.
Therefore, in order TO select potatoes
properly we must have the whole plan
to judge from the tops the growth
the large the medium and small pota-
toes every thing must be- considered
and all together. The only place
where this a be properly done Is
before and AT digging time, first by
what | shall call Field Hill Selection
and second by Special Hill Selection
Stuart Method)
FIELD HILL SELECTION.
Field Selection is largely used by
our farmers Of the potato growing sec.
tions. who are thereby keeping up
Yields and quality, but not doing a
great deaf toward improving them.
Modified forms of Field Selection are
praoticed by many growers, usually
considering the plant and its tubers,
together At the time of digging.
First, A portion of the Field show
ing the more vigorous top is usually
chosen, the potatoes dug with a fork
and each hill of potatoes left together
at the place of digging. After all are
dug the farmer walks hurridly along
the rows and gets an idea of which
hills are producing the best and most
marketable tubers. He her makes his
choice according to variety type, and
stores them in a separate bin for
seed. Later in the year, usually in
the winter. these are gone over again
and only the best are taken for seed
This selection is not made with the
greatest regard TO the vines. Still il is
good. Some farmers, however. 90 one
step farther and select only from those
vines which have come up Co their
ideals as far as they may be noted az
they are being dug. When the vines
are green this is entirely satisfactory.
The large growers who use machin.
ry for potato digging uses this method
of general Field Selection, picking up
directly after the machine from those
hills which are best. Potatoes are taxi
on only from those hills which show
uniformity of shape, color. size and
are smooth and free from diseased tu-
bers.
These potatoes so selected are stored
separately and during the winter or
before planting season, the lot is
gon over carefully and the best and
most choice are chosen for the next
year's planting. Though practically
clean from scab and rot diseases they
should always be treated. by using
N pint formalin TO thirty gallons
water, or Corrosive SublImate l pint
to on thousand parts water.
SPECIAL HILL SELECTION.
In this method hills are kept separ-
ate in a special portion Of the field
which is known as the breeding plot.
When a hill has been found that has
an especially good lot of potatoes eith-
er az to size. number. vine character
istics, Keeping or cooking qualities,
then all these potatoes are put in a
separate paper bag or box and retained
for a row in the breeding plot. These
rows should be in the regular patch
where they are given the same care As
the general field potatoes Seeds from
other hills which are good and recon-
mended themselves 10 the grower. are
likewise saved for spring planting.
Care must be taken and a record made
Of each OF these respective hills so that
we may know II the crop produced the
following year Is similar 10 those
planted What we desire and need to
know Is, does the new crop come
true 10 the original seed or does the
new crop change for better or worse.
All those which show variationa and
do not conform 10 the original Selec-
ton should be- thrown away. Save
only those from the best producing
hills. This selection will usually 90
a long way toward supplying You with
your general field seed.
BY repeating this process from year 70
year the grower soon works up mis-
variety TO the very best production
possible.
A modified form and more careful
selection may be farther carried out by
selecting a choice lot Of potatoes, cut
them by splitting the potato length.
wise into four equal parts and plan
each piece about fourteen inches IN the
row. Skip a piece of fourteen inches.
cut a second potato and plant each Of
the four equal parts fourteen inches
apart. Skip another space. cut and