The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1919-02-18

| duceS an average OF 80 bushels per
acre.
Some farmers in Georgia, however,
] raise rom 200 to 800 bushels per
acre, a fact which demonstrates that
/ it is possible to produce better yields
than the present average would in
dicate
Experiments conducted at the Geor-
gia Experiment Station, and at other
places> in the State, prove that one
reason for the low YIELD is the poor
stand due to the diseased plants be-
ing set in the field. The diseased
plants, or draws, come from diseased
seed potatoes, therefore the remedy
for this, lies in selecting for seed,
sweet potatoes which are free from
! all diseased or rotten spots
In the spring of 1913 test was con
Quoted as follows:
One lot of seed was taken from
sweet potates which had been stored
in a regulation heated storage house.
care being used to selected only
sound potatoes, free from rotten spots
These potatoes were treated in bichlo
| ride of mercury, and bedded in clean
sand. A second lot of seed was select
ed as above and bedded in sand with
out treating in bichloride of mercury
Plants from these two lots were set
in new land, in comparison with two
lots of plants purchased from two
commercial plant growers, who had
raised their plants from seed taken
from banks and bedded without Sc
lection or treatment.
! At the time the four lots of plants
were being set in the field, it was oh.
served that those from selected seed
were well developed and free from
lrattea spots On the shank and roots
while many of the plants from the
commercial plant growers were spind-
ly, and had rotten spots and mold Oh
their shanks and roots.
Each lot of plant was set by itself
on the new land, and all four lots
were given the same fertilization and
culture.
About month after the plants had
been set in the field they were in
spected and notes were taken rela-
tive to the number of living plants
which might be expected to produce
hills of potatoes, The two lots from
carefully selected seed, had 80 per
cent of stand, that is 80 plants had
lived in each 100 set out.
With the two lots from unsolicited
seed, the results were quite differ
ent. In one lot 30 per cent of the
plants died, while the other, over so
per cent died.
This latter case occurs in fields all
over Georgia. The remaing plants
| cover the ground with their vines.
and the loss is not noticed until har-
vest time, when a low yield is OBJ
tanned.
With 30 to so per cent of the plants
dead within month from the time thew
were set in the field, one can readily
see that the yields would be only
two-thirds and one-half respectively.
Of what they should have been if all
the plants had lived and produced
hills of potatoes.
Much of this loss can be avoided
and greater yields per acre obtained
II farmers and commercial plant
growers will select sound, healthy
sweet potatoes for seed. and DESTROY
the rotten potatoes instead of put-
uhg them in the plant beds. Take
time to select enough healthy potato-
es for seed and you will see the re-
suits in an increased yield, which will
well repay the time used in selecting
good seed.
Growers, who wish to take the ex-
ira precaution of treating their seed,
may obtain directions for 81 doing NV