Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1915-12-24
LESS VARIETIES OF POTATOES.
Other Staple Crops Marketed Easier
When Varieties Are Few--Principle
Should Apply to Potatoes.


When Varieties Are Pew--Principle
Should Apply to Potatoes.
With the close Of the potato harvest
season for 1915 the time seems op-
perfume to call to the attention of both
the grower and the scotsman the de-
STABILITY CT considering seriously a
very material reduction in the number
of varieties grown in any given com
munity or section of the country, says
the Weekly News Letter of the depart
ment of agriculture.
1t has been the history of every
other staple crop that the fewer the VA
rieties grown the more easily are they
marketed. The pioneer fruit grower in
America tried to grow as large a list
of varieties as he could afford to pur-
chase, while today the tendency is to
reduce the list to the least number that
can be depended upon to meet the mar
ket requirements. The reason for this
is that it has been found a much east
er task to sell large quantities of one
variety than an equal quantity made
up of q large number of varieties. 1t
is believed that the same principle APP
plies to the potato crop.
In recent publication by the de-
partment, Bulletin No. 176, u system
of classification of potatoes is presented
in which the leading commercial types
are referred to IL groups, and II list of
the varieties studied which are thought
to belong to each group is furnished.
In many cases the varieties listed in
each group are so nearly identical that
in the opinion of the author of this
bulletin there is no justification for the
retention of more than 10 per cent of
them.
The commercial grower should de-
termine what group or class of potatoes
is best adapted to his climatic and soil
conditions, and then contine his efforts
to not more than one or two varieties
within that group. In this way it will
be possible fer him to become more ia
miliar with the behavior of the variety
he is growing; to recognize its special
cultural requirements; and to offer for
sale a much more uniform and high
| grade product than where he is dissl-
pating his energies on a dozen or more
varieties.
The potato growers of some of our
Middle West states, particularly those
! of Wisconsin, are being strongly urg-
ed by their potato specialists and state
associations to adopt the community
plan of growing potatoes of one, or, at
the most, two varieties. In this way
the buyer can be assured of securing a
uniform stock, in carload lots, of Green
Mountain, Rural New Yorker, or other
classes of potatoes.
The movement must come from the
grower through combining his efforts to
few varieties, preferably not more
than one or two. These should be Sc
lected inteligently, with reference to
soil and climatic conditions. For ex-
ample, the Green Mountain group is
particularly well adapted to the cooler
and moister sections of the United
States. The Rural New Yorker, while
succeeding under similar conditions, is
also able to produce satisfactory crops
where air and soil temperatures are
higher, and where the summer pre-
cipitation is scant, provided moisture
is abundant in September and October
The Irish Cobbler group, consisting of
early varieties, is at its best in the
North, but also produces we'll when
planted as an early truck crop in the
South.
The size of the seedsmen 5 list is
very largely, if not entirely, governed
by the grower, and the remedy lies
wholly with him.
The Efforts of the potato grower,
dealer, and scotsman should be direct
ed as follows:
|. Reduce the variety list to a few
standard commercial varieties.
. Standardize these by careful Sc
lection and culture.
3. Adopt the community plan of
growing but one or two varieties and
advertise this fact to the public.
4. Demand a higher grade seed pota-
to from your seed grower or dealer, but
in so doing be willing to pay CORE
spondingly better price for it.