Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1913-12-12
Official Inspection and Certificatlor
of Potato Seed Stocks.
By W. A. ORION
:. S. Department Of Agriouiture

{. 5. Department OF Agriculture
To the Members of the Wisconsin Potato
Growers Association: -
It is gratifying to have this opportunity to
express the appreciation felt in the United
sSpatcs Department of Agriculture OF the
movement for higher Standards ana oetter
conditions in the potato industry which your
association is guiding. The improvements
which you are effecting hero will not be nm
tied by state boundaries but viii beneno other
communities in distant states. It is to point
nut some OF the interrelations OF your potaeo
industry with that Of other places, the extent
10 which southern and western districts are
dependent on you, and the broad opporfnni-
ties for progress that are open TO YOU that
this letter is written.
Wisconsin stands today i'll position Oh eS-
e,el)tional potential advantage III its relation
to the potato industry OF the United States
lis northern location provides climate suit
ID to this crop where It's natural vigor IS
maintained There are vast areas OF new
land that will produce potatoes OF fine Qua1ty
since most of it is free from the diseases prey
.,lent in other districts Geographically ana
commercially you are in close touch with the
e.es6 the south ana tbs west, and finally you
have The highest type of leadership az your
command III The officers Of your association
and their colleagues at the University and
Experiment Station.
J'hose who are watching this association
from outside Wisconsin expect to see Yen
succeed in your aims 1t is expected OF you
That you will increase your yield per acre
from its present average of about 9? bushels
70 perhaps double that figure, that you will
stud the varieties best adapted to your condi-
lions and keep them pure. eliminate mixtures
oe varieties from commercial shipments. thru
community efforts in establishing and enforc-
ing standard grades and develop closer rela-
lions between yourselves as producers, and the
Consumers OF your potatoes, to your mutual
benefit.
iiut in doing this. we hope that your efforts
viii be along limos that can DO correlated to
Il practical way with the needs of other sec
lions Whom we said that other potato dis
trictS were dependent on you. it was with
primary reference to tneir need for good
seed stock. pure, vigorous and healthy. These
things mean much TO the southern and west-
s.-n grower Prof Stuart will win tell you OF
flae differences in vigor and productiyeness
hetweon selected seed and ruu-out strains Of
tIle losses duo to admixtures of late with ear
~ varieties and OF the proper methods OF de-
yeloping and maintaining the best stocks.
Plant diseases also, are more destructive III
many other statos than: in Wisconsin. Many
of the worst are carried i'll the seed potatoes
from farm to farm and from State to State.
There is need for special attention to the les
Ssnng Of this danger. and we believe that a
,,lan for inspection and certfcation can be
worked out that viii IDEAS much to control the
spread OF potato pests within orr country as
the National Plant Quarantine Act does tow
ard l<aeDing ont foreign MARSHES.
There are great man possibilities in the
special seed trade as proitabI9 business for
many Of you. bu5 there are many defects in
the present system of growing and selling po-
1atoes which is failing to meet our needs.
That southern growers must have northern
-eed is well known. Some of them and some
dealers even now, think that if their seed po-
tatoe5 come from northern source that is
sufficient 1t is not The sale for planting
purposes of mixed, ungrades, unsolicited pots-
toes bought in ca1-lots by city buyers, has al
ready done much to iDjure tie reputation of
Wisconsin seed stock and to divert the de-
lnand to other sources of supply. Scab black
leg dry rot, stem blight leafrou. wilt and
other diseases are spread evcry year through
infected seed and the distant purchaser has
practically no means whereby he may be GER
tain of obtaining safe supply. Many go or
>'and an agent to inspect the fields where the
iced is being grown hut this expensive pre-
caution Is not slfire,it to detect all diseases
or TO prevent substitution
An equally great bar to progress, Inherent
in our present system. is that the progressive
seed grower who has produced potatoes of
tho ll.2hest quality. las insufficient meaus
~ convincing the purchaser of the superior
yaIre Of his stock aud fails to find that special
4 l.iaud and kat bonus in price which should
l., III, Incentive Coz giving special care to
seed potato production,
W5noci system developed that will en-
able seed distributor Or a growers associa-
tioii 10 Colorado or Texts 90 order by tie car
lo.G or by he hundred carloads with conf.
s'enea that the potatoes delivered VIII not only
.-onforta to The standard grades of your associ-
alton, bat als0 carry official certificate
tb,.f theg are tras 10 yarietal type, free from
auixbure With o1her sorts and free from dis
case.
We need th 5 system developed 50 that the
WISCONSIN growers or local Associations that
nave specia'ia, "a IN the production of fine POI
tatoes may back their own guarantee with
the statement of an expert whom no one can
question and thereby secure better market
price
1t is With especial reference TO freedom
from disease that this plan has been developed
and the relatively healthy conditions in Wls-
colisin offer many advantages Tor beginning
the work here The losses from potato dis
eases in Wisconsin have been SO slight that l
expect many growers viii have to be shown
shat disease problem really exists. A few
actual examples are therefore cited:
|. A carload of seed pototoes was
brought to my attention in Virginia.
1t had been shipped from a point
which might have been in Wisconsin
tut we may assume for your comfort
that it was in reighboring state.
The sacks neaf the car door were of
good quality but the rest of the car
was Tiled with some of tile worst