Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1921-03-18
SEED POTATOES

csted in getting a larger yield from you,
acreage, as well as better grade of
stock.' asks r. c. Rose, potato spe,
cialist with the agricultural extension
division Of the state university. eff
you are, then Why not join the move
ment to maintain potato seed plots and
develop high grade seed that has re-
cord for production and freedom from
disease, Just remember that good seed
will always give good returns under
favorable conditions, while poor seed
is always uncertain.
Mr.. Rose points out that the average
yield of potatoes in this country is
around SO bushels an acre, while in
Great Britain and Germany, the aver
age yield is about 200 bushels an acre.
Several things may contribute to this
great disparity in yields. but Mr.. Rose
is positive that differences in methods
of propagating and handling seed are
the greatest factors. Growers of pota-
toes across the big pond are usually
very careful about their seed. Ameri-
can growers, on the other hand, arc
rather lax, relying too much on bin sell
ection, seed treatment and spraying to
control diseases. These methods are all
good, as far as they 60, but they do not
reach all the seed born diseases and
weaknesses which may be present.
What constitutes good seede Mr..
Rose replies that high grade seed should
be of high yielding strain of stand
ard variety which is vigorous and free
from diseases. In building up a high
grade seed stock tho unproductive
strain should be eliminated just as the
boarder cows are cast out of improved
dairy herds and the Stacker hen is re-
moved from the best producing focks.
The general maintenance of potato
seed plots will, in the opinion of Mr..
Rose, gradually increase the average
production in this country. "Minne-
sofa potato growers" he says, "are ad-
vantageausly located for seed plots, and
it should be the aim Of every progress
sive grower to improve his seed produc-
ton by the seed plot method. Not only
the grower of table stock, but also
growers of certified seed, should have
special plots for improving their seed.
A seed plot should consist of about one
twelfth of the entire acreage to provide
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possible, it should be on land that has
not grown potatoes for at least five
years.
"Medium size tubers are preferred
for seed. Large ones are not economi-
cal, and the planting Of small ones in
wolves the danger of increasing the pro-
portion of degenerate plants in the
stock, as weak plants generally produce
many small bulbs. The ideal size of
seed potatoes is from five to eight
ounces. As an additional precaution
against such diseases as scab and black
scurf the seed ought to be soaked in a
of corrosive sublimate "a ounc-
es in 30 gallons of water) for an hour
and one-half."
The seed plot should be carefully in
spected at least twice during the grow.
ing season the first inspection at bios
time and the second just before
tho plants die and all varietal mixtures
md diseased and weak plants removed.
Results are not apparent so quickly
with the seed plot methods considered
in the foregoing as in the tuber-unit
or hill method. However, the latter.
method requires much more labor than
the first. Anyone interested in it will
find it described in detail in Minnesota
Extension Division Bulle-
tin No. 50.