Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-05-05
for
Better Potatoes,


and in all parts of Maine.
4 These experiments or Investigations
are upon such a broad plan that 1t is
difficult to select any particular object.
The nearest to this is to explain that
the most important purpose of the in
vestigations, at this time, is to estab-
llish the section, not of Aroostook but
of the country, best adapted to the pro-
duction of seed potatoes. The process
will not be confined to the Aroostook
farm lands. Already experiments have
/ been in other states along this same
lire. Other things, such as securing an
increased amount of solids in the po-
tato, thereby furnishing a greater rea-
son for increasing the potato acreage
and crop of the country, are being
tested.
| In the spring of 1912. the United
States department of agriculture found
| itself possessed of a large collection of
Seeding potatoes, the result of much
careful and painstaking hybirdization
and culture. 1t was desirable that these
seedlings should be tested out in a To-
calty where potato growing had as
sumed large commercial Importance
and where soil and climate were ia
vorable to the production of big crops.
Aroostook county presented the ideal
place. The experts of the depart
ment were convinced that seedlings
would behave much differently in
Aroostook than at the experimental
farm in Ifoneoye Falls, \. Y. where
tests had been made. The department
did not have funds sufficient to war
rant coming to Maine and securing
land necessary for the purposes. The
situation was placed before w. A
Martin of The John Watson Co.. who
rendered the use of the necessary land
on the company's farm in this town
This offer was accepted by the COM
rqny and the experiments began under
the supervision of Prof. William STU
art, horticuturist of the bureau of
piant industry of the department.
These tests which are being made
fill be carried on through a series OF
years and Prof. Stuart summarizes the
Investigations to be made in this peri
cd under the following heads: ID Test
ing of large collection of Seeding
potatoes; t2) testing disease resisting
variety collection; CD plant effect tri-
ais; GD starch content of American and
European varieties; t5) seed improve
ment by the tube unite and hill select
ion methods: 60 artificial crossing for
the production of new varieties.
Testing Seeding Varieties.
TO go into a detailed explanation of
the scientific methods which will be !
followed in working out the various ex-
periments. would lead the average
man into the very deepest water and
soon have him over his head, but Prof. |
Stuart recently talked the work over
with a reporter and explained it in a
way which any person can grasp.
He explained at the start that in the
work the department took advantage
of the we'll known law of heredity that
If a new type of either plant or ami
NAL was desired, the end could much
more quickly be secured by crossing
individuals of unlike attributes; that
frequently this was the only way It'll
could he done TIE Seeding collection
which lead to the Investigations now
icing made here were the result of
this method. They We're the outcome
of a number of crosses between Amer
lean. European, Mexican and South
American species of potatoes. Many
of these crosses had been made with
The one purpose of securing a greater
disease resisting potato.
This work was originally begun by
Prof Stuart when connected with the
Vermont experiment station. They
were continued after he became con-
nected with the national department of
agriculture at Washington. The more
important of these crosses were made
in 1909. In 1911 they produced 10000
seedlings, of this number 10000 were
raised at Honeoye Falls, n. Y. The
seedlings which were brought to Maine
we're from this 10000.
Producing new varieties of potatoes
is not the primary object of this work.
Prof. Stuart explains that there are
too many varieties at present. The
real effort is to develop varieties pos
sessing certain attributes or character
istics not now found in existing yarie
ties or ut least, not to such marked de-
gree as is desired. The qualities es-
peCialty desired to attain are: ca
greater resistance of both vines and
tuber to either fungous or bacterial
disease; OBJ greater drouth and heat
resistance; tc) ability to mature a
crop of tubers in sections where conn
paratively low night temperatures pre-
vail: Cd extreme earliness coupled
with productiveness and good COM
mercial qualities; (e) high starch con-
tents.
Place Affects Trials.
Probably no one feature OF the ex-
periments is of great consequence 10
Aroostook farmers than the place af-
feet trials. State differently these
are the tests being made for the pur-
pose of aseertaining in which section
of the country the best seed potato for
the southern market grower can be
produced The experiment began I'M
1909, when seed from the leading va
rieties raised by southern truck grow
ers was planted in Vermont. Selected
seed from this crop was then planted
in the Red river valley of Minnesota,
in Wisconsin, Michigan, Western New
York and West Virginia. This was in
1910. When harvested the crop was
ca,,t 10 tho dano 1T r,,aof OF yVo oh; uto,,