The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-06-22
RULES FOR CERTIFY
ING SEED TUBERS

tension Service has issued rules for the
seed certifcation of potatoes for the
year. Gordon G. Brown, who is CO.
operating with the service in this work,
has asked that all valley growers who
are seeking such certiication, commun-
icate with him. In view of the fact
that many Upper Valley growers are
planning on certifying their seed, the
o. A. C. rules, prepared by G. X. Hy-
sop, professor of Farm Crops, is given
below:
Any grower, responsible company, or
bona-fde association of Oregon having
seed potatoes of a desirable variety
may enter fields for certificati0n.
There shall be no minimum acreage
entrance requirements. Growers hav-
ing less than an acre may enter if other
conditions are met.
Before certifcation work will be con-
Quoted in county, application must be
presented covering a total of not less
than 10 growers or not less than ~
acres. This county Limitation is neces-
sary because of the high expense of
visiting an individual grower in a
county.
Fields may be entered for inspection
by turning in an application blank and
the application fee. These blanks may
be secured from the county agent in
each county and are turned in through
his office. Counties without agents
may secure blanks from the Extension
Service, Oregon Agricultural College,
Corvallis, Oregon, the signed blanks
being returned directly to the Exten-
sion Service AS an indication on the
part of the grower to carry out certifi-
cation work, an application fee for 81
must accompany the application blank.
After payment of the application or
entrance fee of 81, no fees are charged
for field inspection. A fee of five cents
a bushel is charged for all potatoes
meeting certifcation requirements at
the time of the bin inspection. Fees,
| together with the deposit for tags, are
due at the time of bin inspection and
must be paid before a certificate can
be issued to the grower.
Boys and Girls Club members en-
| tering less than one acre of potatoes
when grown under regular project su-
pervision are not charged the entrance
fees, but when the acreage exceeds one
acre the customary entrance fee is
charged.
All certified potatoes should be la
beled with an official certifcation tag
bearing the name of the certifying
| agency, the growers name, postof1ice
address, the variety of potatoes, etc.
are printed and furnished at cost by
the Extension Service in quantities
agreed upon by the grower and the in
spector. When certified potatoes have
been grown for seed company or are
to be marketed through an association
they may be certified in the name of
the company or association when agreed
upon by persons interested.
Growers are urged to join the in
spector at the time fields are being ex-
amined. Weak, diseased, and off-type
vines are pointed out. The grower is
instructed to dig these plants and re-
move them from the field at once.
Many potato diseases spread from plant
to plant, and unless roguing is done
promptly, the disease may spread ex-
tensively in the field. Failure on the
part of the grower to rogue in the-I
manner and at the time directed will
result in the rejection of the field for
certifcation.
The grower must sort the potatoes
before bin inspection. All potatoes OF
other varieties and any that are rotten,
cut, stabbed, bruised, or otherwise me-
chanically injured; those that are
pointed at the end, bottle necked,
rough, or otherwise not symmetrical;
and those weighing less than two
ounces must be sorted out before they
can be certified. Potatoes passing cer-
tification requirements will be tagged
by the inspector or his representative. |
Usually two field and one bin inpec-
tion are made. The first field inspec-
tion, made about blooming time, indi-
Gates to the inspector the presence of
varietal mixture and disease that ap-
pears early in the season. The grower
at this time is expected to provide the
inspector with information as to seed
ing, handling of soil, and other items
desired.
Fields not passing any inspection will
not be considered. further except by
special request.
The second field inspection is made
shortly before the vines ripen and late
developing diseases are noted.
The bin inspection is made prefera-
bly, not less than one month after har-
vest to determine upon the presence OF
disease and insect pests, trueness to
varietal type, and accuracy of sorting
to meet cetification requirements.
Growers should use new ground or
land that has not been in potatoes for
at least four years. Preferably, on old
land, the potatoes should follow le-
gume or grass meadow crop. 1t is use
less to attempt certification on land
that has recently been in potatoes.
Preferably certified seed should be
used. Allsseed, certified or not, should
be carefully selected to smooth, SYM
metrical tubeTs, and it is better to
avoid seed showing stem-end discolora-
tion.
All seed should be given the coTro
sive-sublimate treatment described in
Oregon Agricultural College Expert
mentlStation Circulars "a and %.
When in doubt about the presence OF
wilt, blossom-end pieces. which have
less of that disease, should be planted
by themselves.
When any plant in the field appears
diseased, dwarfed, or otherwise un-
healthy, it should be Immediately dug
out and removed from the field regard
less of whether an inspector has been
there or not.
ANY plant showing evidence of wilt
should be dug out of the field. 1t is
often a good plan to dig the plants on
each side Of it. This is especially i'm
portant il hills are closer than two
feet, as the.disease spreads through the
soil
At the time Of digging, all tubers
that are rotting. damaged, cut, off,
type, misshapen. non-symmetrical. or
otherwise unsound and those weighing
less than two ounces shoud be rigidly
sorted out.
Next week The Glacier will give the
standards needed for certification.