American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-10-09
WITH THE EXTENSION PEOPLE
UNIVERSITY or IDAHO


nc. H. Bennett. Field HorticulturisD
There is a great fascination In the So
called creating" Of new varieties. Va
rleties of fruits and vegetables come
aud go 30 rapidly that u Is difficult
for anyone 10 keep pace with them.
10 Is hardly worth while for the
practical grower TO attempt TO origi-
nate new varieties. and II Is decidedly
poor business 10 adopt new varieties
in u commercial way ill they have
been proven OF value.
All new varieties OF fruit and veg
etablea are produced In n OF two
ways. T. a. by bud yariatiOn-the md-
tatiOna OF the scientists-Or by seed
lings which may or may IN be by
BIRDS. New varieties OF potOtoes have
come about In both OF these ways.
A an example OF the bud sprout or
mutation we have the White Early
Ohio which Is the same except In color
49, the common Early Ohio and Red
Peachhlow which Is a variation OF the
old White Peachblow. II Is not un-
common 10 find abnormal cOlOrings
on any variety OF potatoes.
A few years ago we found a Pearl
/ (pearlessl potato In a field at Gree
ley. Colorado. which had a deep pur-
! pie spot covering the eye or bud. Nor
mally the Pearl Is creamy white with
a very delicate shell pink bud. We
planted this potato In pots In a green
house. the purple eye la one pot, and
the normal colored eyes In other pots.
The resulting tubers from the purple
eye we're all purple, resembling the
Blue Victor In appearance, while the
white normal eyes ave pure white
normal Pearl potatoes.
New varieties are more commonly
developed from seed. True seed from
potatoes IL not uncommon with some
varieties and In some climates. Some
Varieties as the Early Ohio. seldom
" ever. develop fruits at all.
Hybridizing the potato that Is,
fertillzing the pistils OF the blossoms
OF one variety with the pollen of an
other variety has been done but il Is
a difficult and rather unsatisfactory
process.
Most OF the seed OF potatoes rs So
cured from the fruits that OCCASIONALLY
form on the vines in the field These
fruits are either self-pOllinated. or ac-
1 |cidentally cross %pollinatod generally
by pollen OF the same variety. In any
case the tuhers produced from the
plants grown from seed Will show a
great variation in character. SO that
nearly az many different varieties will
result a. there are different plants.
How to Get the Seed
The potato plant Is closely related
To tho tomato, It's fruits az Il pro-
duccs any grow In clusters OF from
two 90 one-half dozen each OF which
is NOR or less globe shaped. green
and from one-half TO one inch in diam
cter n these fruits ripen they may
Dee crushed in a dish. some water ad-
ded. after which the mass should be
allowed 90 ferment or rot for "a few
days This will allow the seed 10 sep
lrate from the tissue. when they may
be- washed out iu the same name
That tomato and egg plant seed are Sc
cured Dry the seed and store IA a
dry place am spring as with other
seed.
Potato seed should be sown In a
greenhouse OF hotbed. as the seedlings
are delicate and weak hence very sus-
"NN""' w. hH"'At NhAAAN ANN fNNAh
seedlings may be tr%ansplantcd to the
open sround or remain during the
FIRST generation In the seed bed. The
tlbers of these seedlings will vary In
color and shape. and range from the
size ot "a pea Go that of an English Wal
uuJ The second generation will in
crease the size OF the tubers. but the
iuil size viii not be obtained I'm the
third or fourth generation
We have Grown many hundreds OF
such seedlings. many OF which we're
Nery beautiful potatoes both as 20
form aud color. but out OF the lot none
oi them were as valuable IN a COM
n%icrcial way as such standard vario-
ties as Netted Gem and Early Ohio.
We read "a statement not long ago that
fhe fruits OF the potato had become
extinct because of the many genera
tons Of reproductions OF potatoes by
cuttings OF tubors. This statement
was "a little untimely. for the 1917
fields of Netted Gems are well supplied
with the potato fruits. and II IL would
serve any good purpose We could Sc
cure almost any quantity OF yiable po-
tato seed For the most OF us. how
ever, better results in improvement
In potatoes will follow II We conhne
our efforts TO building up from the
best plants we find in the held-E. R.
Bennett. Field Horticulturist. Univer-