Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-29
POTATO VARIETIES
One or TWO Kinds, Adapted 20 Soil
and Climate, Nest Profitable for
Commercial Grower.


II has been the history of every sta
pie crop that the fewer the varieties
grown the more easily they are mar
keted. The pioneer fruit grower in
America tried to grow a. large list
Of varieties as he could afford to plr.
chase, while today the tendency is to
reduce the list to the least number
that can be depended upon TO meet
the market requirements. The reason
for this is that it has been found q
much easier task to sell large quaint
ties Of one variety than an equal guam
tity make UP Of large number Of va
rieties. 1t is believed that the same
principle applies to the potato crop.
In a recent publication by the de-
Iartment, Bulletin No. 17G, "A system
Of classification OF potatoes is present
cd in which the leading commercial
types are referred in II groups, and
list Of the varieties studied which
are thought to belong to each group is
furnished. In many cases the yariet
les listed in each group are so nearly
Identical that in the opinion Of the au-
thor of this bulletin there is no iusu-
fiCation for the retention of more than
10 per cent Of them.
The commercial grower should Dc.
termine what group or class Of pota-
toes is best adapted to his climatic ana
soil conditions, and then conflne hi,
agF tn at
varieties within that group. IN th.s
way it will be possible for him to be-
come more familiar with the behavior
Of the variety he is growing; to rec
ogniZe It's special cultural requirements
and to offer for sale much more uni
form and high grade product than
where he is dssipating his energies
on a dozen or more varieties.
The potato growers of some of our
Middle West States, particularly those
Of Wisconsin are being strongly urged
by their potato specialists and state as
sociatiOns TO adopt the community
plan Of growing potatoes of one, or,
at the most, two varieties. In this
curing a uniform stock, in car load lots
of Green Mountain, Rural Now Yorker
or other classes OF potatoes.
The movement must come from The
grower through confining his efforts
10 a few varieties, preferably not more
than one or two. These should he
selected intelligently, with reference
to soil and climatic conditions. For
example the Green Mountain group is
particularly well adapted to the cooler
and moister sections of the United
States. The Rural New Yorker while
succeeding under similar conditions, is
also able to produce satisfactory crops
where air and soil temperatures are
higher and where the summer precip-
itation is scant, provided moisture IS
abundant in September and October.
The Irish Cobber group, consistirg
Of early varieties, is at its best in the
North, but also produces well whcr
planted as an early truck crop in the
south
The size of the seedsmen's lists is
very largely, if not entirely governed
by the grower, and the remedy lies
wholly with him.
The efforts of the potato grower,
dealer, and secdsmen should be direct
el as follows:
l. Reduce the variety list to a few
standard commercial varieties.
2. Standardize these by careful Sc
lection and culture.
8. Adopt the community plan of
growing but one or two varieties and
advertise this fact to the public.
4. Demand a higher grade seed pota
TO from your seed grower or dealer
but in so doing be willing to pay cor
rGspoudingly better prize for it.