The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1917-05-10
RELATIVE v1GoR OF POTATO
KrVNC


Among potato growers there has al.
ways been q great deal Of discussion
concerning the influence Of the position
OF the eye upon the yield that may be
expected. Upon examination OF a-iy
potato we find at one end cluster Of
we'll developed buds or eyes; this end
Ii called By growers the seed end or
blossom end"
The other end. OF the tuber common
III has only one or two eyes, and some
times the only resemblance to an eye
Is the slight indentation where the po-
tato was attached TO the growing
plant. This ii called the stem end
and years ago this end was always dis
carded when the seed potato was cut
into peices for planting. The seed-end
eyes and the other eyes along the body
Of the potato were the only ones con-
sidered to be worth planting.
AS the price OF seed potatoes has adj
vanced in recent years all the tuber,
including the stem end, has been util-
lied. In order to throw some light
upon the question Of the relative vigor
Of the eyes, the Monmouth County
Farm Demonstration Office has car
ried out q careful, though small, test
of the producing abmil1ty Of each eye.
Seed potatoes OF uniform size and
shape were selected from those which
the farmer was planting. The seed
ends and stem ends were cut or and
kept separate and piece was also cut
from the middle Of each potato. These
were planted by themselves about
thirteen inches apart In row that
had previously been dressed with a
fertilizer Analysing four per cent am
monia and ten per cent phOsphoric
acid, at the rate of 1900 pounds to
the acre.
Marked stakes were placed between
the groups to prevent confusion.
A Difference in Yield.
The sprouts from the seed ends
came up quickly and were three to
four inches high before the majority of
the stem-end sprouts came up. Middle
eye sprouts showed vigor midway
between these two.
This difference In vigor was main
| tanned throughout the growing season,
although the difference in vigor of the
vines from the seed ends and the mid
die eyes was less marked than that of
the vines from the seed end and the
stem end eys
Calculated on the acre basis, we
find that an acre planted from the
seed ends alone would yield 1873 bar
rels from the middle eyes alone no
barrels, and from the stem ends alone
1 "a barrels--165 pounds to the barrel.
In other words the seed ends gave an
eighty per cent greater yield than the
stem ends and twenty per cent greater
than the middle eyes, while the latter
gave a fifty per cent greater yield than
the stem ends.
When we realize that the potato Is
but an enlarged underground stem,
the eyes corresponding to the buds on
a fruit tree twig, we can understand
that the difference would be ever
greater In mature seed potatoes, be
cause we know that the terminal bud
or blossom end, natures first anC
hence has greatly superior vigor t.
the other buds In the twig or eyes In
the potato.
There are two conclusions to BIZ
I drawn from this test: First, 1t will
probably pay the market gardener
who Is growing early potatoes to dis
card the stem ends IN cutting his seed
potatoes He win thus get his croI
off earlier and greater proportion Of
the tubers win reach marketable size
Second, he man who is growing thu
potato as main crop. and is not par
ticularly interested in earlyness, should
include good eye from the body o.
the potato with the piece from tn,
stem end in order to get some of thu
!, yigor Of the seed potato into that ex
! tremity. w. b. DURYEE.