The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1924-09-11
Montana Growers Afforded
Ready Market I'm Louisiana
For Certified Seed Potatoes

being quite generally used through
out these states, despite the fact
that such seed produced SO per cent
less than northern certified seed. II
will be but a question of a short
time before the farmers of these
states awaken to the value of the
northern product and that will mean
a very rapid increase in demand. The
potential market there is difficult to
estimate but, according to the Louis
lana professor, it will be enormous.
Explaining the method used in his
state, to bring about a more general
use of certified seed, Professor Tie
bout stated that growers from GER
titled seed producing states were in
duced to send samples of free seed
to Louisiana for trial. Seed so re-
ceiyed was divided into eight pound
lots and given to Louisiana potato
club boys and girls to be grown I'M
der the supervision and direction of
experienced club leaders. Each boy
or girl on the first year of his or her
entry in the work received an eight
pound sack of certified potatoes,
each sack containing the name and
address of the grower and the GER
tification tag of the association to
which the grower belonged. A care
full record of the growing of the po-
tatoes and their outcome was re-
quired of each club member. In this
manner the potatoes received a wide
distribution throughout the state,
they were grown under as careful
supervision as possible, an accurate
record was kept of results, worth
while comparisons were possible and
certified seed growers wer given the
best possible publicity. AS a result
of this method of extension work,
fathers and neighbors of the boys and
girls growing certified stock were
convinced Of the superiority of such
seed and this brought on a general
demand the following season. Pro-
fessor Tiebout recited an instance
which occurred In a community with
which he was we'll acquainted. A
carload of certified seed was distrib-
tied a%mongboys and girls club mem
)ers the first year. The following ]
ear 80 carloads were used and the
prospects for next year are that from
5 to 100 carloads of certified seed
will be used in this one Sec
ion alone.
A part Of the effort of Professor ]
7iebout during his trip to the north {
IN states was to familiarize growers, |
.xtension workers and railroads with ]
heir plan of operation and to en- 1
ourage more general use of this ex- {
client system of advertising. North t
IN railroads will be asked to parti- |
ipate in this work In the same way
hat the railroads Of the south nave {
out. There the railroads car [
seed potatoes which we're to be |
-sed in club work, free of charge. /
Professor Harrington states that /
Iontana will continue sending seed {
Iotatoes to Louisiana for testing pur- l
Ioses, and that an effort will be made S
year to send a carload, and per-
two to be used by the louisiana t
Extension Service in it's club work, !
hus bringing the Montana produc- ]
rs more directly into the view of S
he Louisiana growers. The testing a
york carried on in previous years /
as been very valuable because
through these tests 1t has been pos Y
ible to bring about a direct COM a
between Montana potatoes l
nd those from other states, and Mon d
ana has not suffered by the COM :
arison. During the past year this I
was financed by the Montana l
Association, and by fees .
objected in the work of inspecting a
ertified potatoes !.