The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-12-21
FEWER VARIETIES OF
POTATOES ADVOCATED
Other Staple Crops Marketed Easier
When Varieties Are Few-Princi-
pie Should Apply to Potatoes.

With the close of the potato harvest
season for 1915 the time seems OPP
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 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 much east
er task to sell large quantities of one
variety than an equal quantity made
up of a large number of varieties. 1t
is believed that the same principle APP
plies to the potato crop.
In a recent publication by the de
partment, Bulletin No. 176, system
of classification of potatoes is presented
in which the leading commercial types
are referred to IL groups, and a list Of
the varieties studied which are thought
to belong to each group is furnished.
In many eases 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-
fap no oil nf taf 20
| is best adapted to his climatic and soil
| conditions, and then confne his efforts
! to not more than one or two varieties
within that group. In this way it viii
/ be possible for him to become more fl
miliar with the behavior of the variety
/ he is growing; to recognize its specia
cultural requirements; and to offer foI
sale a much more uniform and high
grade product than where he is dissi
| pating his energies on q dozen or more
varieties.
The potato growers of some of oul
Middle West states, particularly thos,
of Wisconsin, are being strongly urg
ed by their potato specialists and stat,
associations to adopt the communit,
plan of growing potatoes of one, or, a
the most, two varieties. In this wa,
the buyer can be assured of securing
uniform stock, in carload lots, of Greer
Mountain, Rural New Yorker, or 0the
classes of potatoes.
The movement must come from tn
grower through combining his efforts t
few varieties, preferably not NOR
than one or two. These should be Sc
lected intelhgently, with reference t
soil and climatic conditions. For ex
ample, the Green Mountain group
particularly well adapted to the coole
and moister sections of the Unite
States. The Rural New Yorker, Will
succeeding under similar conditions,
also able to produce satisfactory crop
where air and soil temperatures al
higher, and where the summer pr,
cipitation is scant, provided moistu1
I is abundant in September and Octobe
The Irish Cobbler group, consisting {
early varieties, is at its best in Il
North, but also produces well whe
planted as an early truck crop in Il
South.
The size of the seedsmen's list
! very largely, if not entirely, governt
by the grower, and the remedy Ii
1 wholly with him.
4 The efforts of the potato grove
4 dealer, and scotsman should be direc
4 ed as follows:
H. /. Reduce the variety list to a fc
I standard commercial varieties
III 2. Standardize these by careful 5
4 lection and culture.
4 3. Adopt the community plan
l growing but one or two varieties a
4 advertise this fact to the public.
l 4. Demand higher grade seed pot
to from your seed grower or dealer, b
1 in SO doing be willing to pay cor
Il snnndinclv halter nrice for Ii