Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-04-21
Villas COUNTY RANKS
HIGH WITH POTATOES
Pure Bred Seed Campaign Is
Going Strong With Farmers
This Season-Facts By
Co. Agt. Gibson
By COUNTY AGENT GIBSON

BV COUNTY AGENI 0lbOON
To those who are in a position to
know. its a recognized fact that Villas
County, Wisconsin, is peculiarly adapt
ed to the producing of potatoes Of the
highest quality With soil of the right
kind, plenty of rainfall, excellent
drainage, ideal temperature, together
with a rapidly increasing acreage,
this county combines to an unusual
degree the ideal conditions for good
potato production. Provided with all
of these natural advantages, the most
important factor is still left to be
considered, namely, our growers. We
believe the ability Of our farmers has
been proven in the past by the splen-
did records they have made in ex-
hitting at fairs and shows, both
individually, and collectively, and in
proportion to our agricultural popula-
ton, we challenge successful contra
diction
It has also been proven that our
growers are progressive. On the Rad
cliffe farm near Eagle River, an in
teresting though common study in
the value of using a good purebred,
high yielding strain of seed was dem
onstrated last fall at digging time. In
the spring Mr. Radcliffe paid $1OO
for enough certified Rural New York
er seed of the well known Campbell
strain to plant about four acres, when
ordinary seed could not be given away
Alongside this four acres was planted
his own selected seed of the same
variety Both fields were cared for in
the same manner. During the growing
season, the only visible difference was
a more uniform vigor among the
plants of the purebred seed, but at
digging time the field of Campbell"
strain Rurals yielded an average Of
327 bushels to the acre, while the
rest of the field yielded an average
of 228 bushels to the acre. In addition
to the increased yield, the purebred
seed produced crop of much more
uniform and marketable stock.
AS a whole, the entire 81 acres of
Rurals and Triumphs planted on this
farm went better than 234 bushels
to the acre.
The limiting factor in our chain of
progress as affecting the potato crop
in Villas county, has been a lack Of
standardization. Approaching this fact
and wishing to remedy it, the County
Agricultural committee adopted an or
ganized plan of work last fall, the
results of which are somewhat out
of the ordinary. With the aid of Prof.
]. G. Millward and John Brann from
College of Agriculture, of the Uni
versity of Wisconsin, a series of fiji
teen meetings were held throughout
the county, emphasizing the necessary
steps to be taken to remedy this CON
dition. Looking to the further accom-.
plishment of the same end, the First
National Bank, and the Farmers and
Merchants State Bank of Eagle River,
and the Phelps State Bank inaugural
ed a credit plan through the Eagle
River Produce Company whereby seed
might be obtained on time by those
who desired it.
Since the majority of our growers
favored the Rural New Workers, it was
decided to concentrate on this variety.
1t was further thought best to dissent
nate seed of one strain and inasmuch
as the Campbell" strain had proven
most satisfactory in the past arrange
ments were made with the L. Starks
Company owners of the former T. S.