The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-02-04
PLANT GOOD SEED
TO GET BEST RESULTS
POOR SHOWING OF IRISH PO-
TATO LAST YEAR WAS DUE
TO THE POOR SEED.
- - -.

The Irish potato, especially the
spring crop, is becoming more i'm
portant in Georgia each year, says
j. A. McClintock, botanist and plant
pathologist, in bulletin issued by
the Georgia experiment station.
In the spring of 1918 many people
planted Irish potatoes with the ex-
pectatlon of getting good yields, but
at harvest time some were greatly
disappointed at the small yields OBJ
tanned.
Various causes may account for
the poor yields, but one cause which
was observed throughout the state
was the diseased seed potatoes used.
Some potato diseases are not car
rled in the seed, but the disease which
caused many poor crops last year,
Potato Mosaic, has been definitely
proven to be carried in the seed tu-
hers. Mosaic manifests itself in the
form of stunted plants, with notified
or varigated leaves. This nothing
is due to a loss of green coloring
matter or Chlorophyll, caused by the
Mosaic germ.
AS it is in the leaves of the plant
that the starch is made which is
stored in the underground stems to
form tubers. any disease which re-
duces the starch production in the
leaves results in a reduced yield of
tubers.
Potatoes produced by diseased
plants are diseased, and if such po-
tatoes are used for seed and they will
carry the disease to the next crop,
and so on as long as such potatoes
are used for seed. Since potatoes
attacked by Mosaic never recover,
they should not be used for seed.
Fortunately for the potato grow
er, some varieties of Irish potatoes
are more resistant to the Mosaic dis
ease than others land this fact should
be considered in selecting seed po-
tatoes. A number of varieties of
Irish potatoes have been grown I'M
der observation for several years in
Georgia and other Southern states,
and definite recommendations can
now be made to aid growers in Sc
Letting good seed
In the spring of 1918, observations
made throughout Georgia, showed
that the Bliss Triumph potato was
seriously affected with Mosaic wher-
ever grown, regardless of the source
of the seed. This variety, which is
medium size, spherical shaped po-
tato, with a reddish colored skin, is
also known under the names of Bliss,
Red Bliss and Triumph. 1t is reas-
onably safe to suspect that any po-
tato conforming to the above des-
cription is a Bliss Triumph. even
though sold under another name, and
the chances are great that the seed
of this variety will be diseased with
Mosaic regardless of where the seed
were raised.
Records obtained at the Georgia
experiment station, and in various
parts of the state since 1915, prove
that the Bliss Triumph does not give
as large yields as other varieties,
such as the Irish Cobbler.
These data bear out the observa-
stion that potatoes which are not at
tackled by Mosaic give large yields,
for it is known that the Irish Cob
bier is practically free from Mosaic
wherever grown. The Irish Cobbler
is a good sized, white skinned pota-
to, rather fattened in shape, and
having deep set eyes. 1t is also sold
under the name of Cobbler.
The Early Rose is another spring
crop potato which has given good re
suits, in some sections. A selection
Of this variety, known as Rose 4, is
raised extensively in the potato
growing sections of Florida.