Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1920-09-30
PRODUCING new and
TESTING OLD YARIE-
TIES OF POTATOES

Orono. Me. Sept. 2S-The follow
ing was issued today from the office
of Charles D. Woods, director of
the Middle Agricultural experiment
station at the University of Maine:
Very soon after the purchase OF
Aroostook Farm by the State, CO.
operative studies with potatoes were
begun with the United States De-
partrnent of Agriculture. AT pres
ent two bureaus and several di-
visions of the Department are car
rying on studies on different phases
of potato culture in cooperation
with the Maine Agricultural Exper-
iment Station. One of the import
ant lines of work, and which attracts
attention from all visitors, is the test
| ing out of the known varieties of
potatoes and the production and de-
! velopment of new varieties. This
, work with the Office of Horticultural
and Pathological Investigations is eX-
tensive and impresseS the visitor
! it'll its magnitude and possibilities.
But it is difficult to make an equally
impressive word picture. To say
, that more than one hundred thous-
and seedlings have been produced,
grown and tested through several
Years of time. in these days of big
, figures gives only a faint idea of the
amount of painstaking work neces-
Stated in growing, harvesting and
storing all these numbers of kinds
without getting them mixed. The
making and study of the data of
growth and yield are time consum-
j ing beyond the thinking of the man
who has not tried to develop Varle-
ties for his own seed
From these seedlings there are now
sorts that through series of years
have shown vigor and form OF tuber,
together with high yielding qualities,
which promise TO make them more
desirable than the standard COM
mercial varieties now grown. But
the Department is proceeding cauti-
ously for it appreciates that varie-
ties to replace those already giving
Il satisfactory commercial return
must have superior qualities and
producing capacity. The testing of
these new and apparently more de-
sirable strains will be continued
/ through a series 81 years. If they
prove to be productive as they now
promise to be, and if they continue to
be as free from disease as has been
the case thus far, these varieties will
! be likely to replace some of the COM
! mercial sorts now grown in Maine
I and in other states.
! Another somewhat analogous
phase of potato work that is con-
| Quoted by this Division in coopera-
! ton with the Station is the testing
out of selected strains of existing
/ varieties with the object of develop
/ ing vigorous. high producing strains
! of seed. To this end the most Wig
orous and best producing strains of
| the standard commercial varieties
commonly grown in the State are OBJ
! tanned from all sections of the coun-
! try
| The plan is that these strains as
! soon as developed will be placed in
| the hands of the Maine Agricultural
| Experiment Station to be propagated
| upon a considerable scale and dis
| posed of in small lots to growers
within the State who desire to Sc
cure the very best seed stock OBJ
tainable.
| This stock will first go to those
who will make it their business to
grow potatoes for seed. and as rap
idly as the supply of seed can be in
creased, it will be made available to
| the commercial growers of the State
through regular channels of trade.
BY this method it is believed that
the quality, vigor and productive
! ness Of the seed supply can be very
greatly increased. and as result. the
commercial growers will benefit from
the use of such seed in a more Ger
tain yield and a larger yield.