Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1920-08-06
BIG INCREASE In
POTATO GROWING
Twenty-Six Acres of Certified
Seed in This County
Storage Houses Possible Next Year
Only Five Acres Of Certified Seed
Planted Last Year. .....-.

A marked increase in the potato pro-
duction of Windham county may be
looked for in the next two or three
years if the interest which is being
taken in the growing of certified seed
can be taken as n forecast for the
future growth in the production of this
crop in the county, 26 acres of certified
seed having been planted this year in
II fields as against about five acres
in three fields in 1919.
The construction of two or three
adequate potato storage warehouses at
shipping points in the county is a pos
sibilitv in 1921, the need of such
places already being felt by some of the
growers of certified stock this year
As there is no specially constructed
building in this county, such as are
common in Aroostook county, Maine,
and other potato sections it will be nee
essarv to rent house cellars as a make
shift this winter.
First inspection of the ! fields from
certified seed was completed Friday
by Harold l.. Bailey of Bradford, state
entomologist, and County Agent w. =.
Frost, every field passing the inspection.
The largest field is that owned by John
a. NuHIOTu Oh ulHtN, WIZ HAS tlSuJ
acres of certified tubers growing and
whose field was said by Mr.. Bailey to
be one of the best in The state. In the
first inspection of the three fields last
year only about half the stock passed
the first inspection. The second inspec-
ton will be made in about a month.
In the first inspection the grower is
allowed up to four per cent in diseased
hills, either of leaf roll or mosaic, or
eight per cent of The two combined.
All of these must be removed before
the second inspection, not over one per
cent of diseased hills being allowed at
that time.
All the seed used in the IL fields this
year were either from the special car
of certified stock which was shipped
here from the northern part of the
state or from certified seed grown in
this county last year.
Following ia the list of growers Of
the certified stock this year: John A.
Sanford of Putney, w. r. Simmons of
Brookline, Rice Farm of Dummerston,
Otis Amidon. F. l.. Gerrish and j. S.
Koshinsky of Halifax, Fred Smith of
Newfane w. B. Houghton of Putncy,
George Stickney of Rockingham, c. S.
Streeter of Wardsboro and Frank Har-
low of Westminster.
Both Mr.. Harlow, who is the second
largest grower, with five acres, and Mr.
Sanford have promising crops but are
faced with a serious problem in the
matter of storage.
Farmers are finding it good iprop.
osition to raise certified seed potatoes
fand each year findss increased Interest
in the work. 1t is hoped by the county
agent tnat within three years the county
may be entirely supplied with pota.
toes from local farms. During last
winter both Brattleboro and Bellows
Falls were supplied largely from Maine
stock.
1t is interesting to the farmers here
to know that the, car of certified seed
which came here last spring were from
%. A. Dimock in East Corinth, who had
nine acres and harvested from 300 to
400 bushels to the acre, selling the en-
tire lot at an average probably of So
bushel. This year he put is acres
under
With the use of certified stock County
Agent Frost says he sees no reason WHY
this county's second largest crop should
not be potatoes, az the soil, on the
whole, is particularly adapted to the
growth of potatoes. Dairying, how
ever, he says, always will be the largest
business in Windham county.
After observing fields while travelling
through the county Mr.. Frost says the
potato crop grown from native seed
although better than last season, is
very poor, due to q heavy intermixture
or leaf diseases, particularly leaf roll,
which causes weak and stunted growth
and cuts down the yield one half or
more.