Milford chronicle., 1924-04-18
KENT FARM BUREAU
SECURES SEED POTATOES

Through the efforts of the Kent
County Farm Bureau and the County
Agent, over five hundred bushels of
second crop cObbler seed potatoes
were purchased this spring for about
seventy farmers in different sections
of the county. These potatoes were
ordered through County Agent Girls
sey of Salem, New Jersey, as practi-
cally all of these second crop cob
bleTs are produced in that section of
the state. Salem county is rapidly
gaining a reputation for producing
/ excellent seed potatoes of the cObbler
variety, and the growers in that cOun-
ty have no difficulty in disposing of
their crop each year at a profit.
By the farmers in Kent county
pooling their orders for this seed it
was possible for the Farm Bureau to
purchase it for 5 cents per pound at
the shipping point. Arrangements
were made whereby these potatoes
were trucked from Salem, N. j., to
Dover, and sold to the farmers at
cost of $2.15 per bushel, or $53S per
bag.
In addition to this lot shipment of
$40 bushels through the local Farm
Bureau approximately 500 bushels of
certified seed potatoes were shipped
into the county last fall by individual
farmers who bought this seed direct
from the New Jersey growers in the
same manner in which the pooled Or
ders were handled this spring. The
amount of these combined orders,
therefore, reaches the sum of over
1000 bushels of high grade seed po-
tatoes that have been introduced into
Kent county for this springs plant
ing.
The interest among the farmers of
the county in good seed potatoes is |
rapidly growing as shown by the |
marked increase in the quantity of |
this type of seed being planted this
spring as compared to the small |
amount of approximately 800 bushels
planted in the county last year. In
1922 there were only few bushels of
high class seed potatoes brought into
this county, and these were distribut-
ed to a very small number of farm
ers.
One of the chief causes of this in
creased interest in this kind of seed
may be attributed largely to the re-
suits of the several demonstrations of
these potatoes compared to home
grown stock or seed of unknown Ori-
gin conducted in the county last year.
Five bags of certified second crop
were secured free of charge
last spring from these New Jersey
growers for the purpose of demon
strating to the farmers in Kent cOun-
~, Delaware, the value of this seed as
compared with our local seed. These
i've bags of potatoes were distributed
10 twenty-five different farmers thru
1ut the county, and each cO-Operator
was asked to plant these potatoes in
with the kind of seed he
had intended to use. According to all
reports received at the County Agents
Office relative to the growth and
Yields of these second crop cObblers, |
he average production per acre
rom this certified seed was about
lOuble that obtained from the COM
non stock. l
In all probability the pooled order
or seed potatoes next spring will far '
xceed the order this year, and efforts I
will be made to secure a sufficient q
mount of this seed in order that ev- I
ry farmer in the county who desires e
ONE of it may have the opportunity
o get into the pool. Unfortunately, j
everal farmers were unable to secure v
heir seed potatoes this spring thru q
he pooled order as they entered their Il
equests too late for their orders to S
e considered. The growers in New +
ersey have ready sale for all of their [
rop each year making it very neces- p
ary that all orders be placed early
o insure delivery. in view of these A
onditions all the farmers in the coun-
y who are planning to use some of
his seed next spring should there L
ore place their Ordocs with the Farm O
bureau at an early date this fall Z