Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-03-19
FARM BUREAU TELLS
VARIETIES TO GROW
RECOMMENDS STRAWBERRIES
AND POTATOES SUITED FOR
LOCAL MARKET,

Farmers of this section who follow
the advice of the Thurston County
Farm Bureau as to the varieties Of
strawberries and potatoes to grow
this season, as set forth in a letter
county this week, will have no diff
Guilty in disposing of their crops, the
Bureau says.
The letter would have been sent to
every farmer in the county If the Bu-
reau had had his name and address,
but there are only 800 farmers at
present on the Bureaus mailing list.
1t is being added to, however, as fast
as names and addresses can be gath
cred, for the Bureau expects to
send out letters at different times dur
ing the year and wants to reach as
many farmers as it can.
The recommendation contained in
this letter were made after County
Agriculturist o. G. Van Houten had
made a careful investigation of local
market conditions and after several
conferences with local merchants and
the cannery officials. The upshot of
it is that those varieties mentioned in
the letter, quoted below, will find a
ready sale in the local markets, as
we'll as being adapted to the soil con-
ditions in this county.
Must Standartlize Crops.
The letter in full follows:
The Thurston County Farm Bu-
reau discovered soon after its organ
ization that one of the principal fac
tors in the marketing problem con-
fronting you is the absolute neces-
sity for Standardization of crops.
We appreciate that 1t is impossible
to make a complete change In one
year, SO we are endeavoring to stand
ardize the berry crop and potato crop,
two of the most important in Thurs
ton county.
For this work we have enlisted the
cooperation OF the retailers, and the
varieties of potatoes as we'll as ber-
ries we recommend to you have been
determined after an exhaustive study
and examination of conditions and
the adaptability of varieties.
Varieties Recommended.
We recommend and the grocers of
Olympia as well as the National Can
ming company, will give preference
to the Wilson varieties and Clark
Seeding strawberries (under no cir
cumstances make new paintings from
the old field).
For early potatoes the varieties
should be restricted to the following:
Earliest of All. Early Rose, Early
Beauty of Hebron, Early Six Weeks,
Burpee's Early. All Of these have
given promise OF good results here.
The late varieties suggested are:
Pride of Multnomah, American Won
der, White Star. Rural New Yorker,
No. 2, Melted Gem, Carmen 1 or 8,
Gold Coin.
There are probably a few other
varieties that have done we'll here,
but from this list potatoes suitable
to any soil can be selected.
The Gold Coin, while producing
fairly we'll, is a yellow-meated potato
and therefore Objectionable. 1t should
be the aim Of every grower to dis
pense with the pink or red varieties
and raise nothing but the white. The
preference should be given to the
Pride of Multnomah or potatoes OF
this distinct class for the late ones
and American Wonder for mid-sea-
son.
Selection Of Seed.
The selection of seed depends to q
certain extent upon the varieties that
can be obtained. There are some local
potatoes of this class already here
that have given good results. The
merchants have brought In limited
amount Of seed potatoes, especially
the American Wonder and the Pride
of Multnomah. 1t should be the aim
Of every grower to test out these va
rieties mentioned and at some future
date eliminate all but one or two OF
the best.
In selecting the seed particular
attention should be given to selec'
those of uniform, medium size, tha'
show no signs Of disease and all seed
should be treated before planting D!
the use Of one pint of formalin (com
mercial formaldehYdel In 30 gallOns