The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-12-10
TREASURE STATE FARM AND LIVESTOCK

and Gerald Dewitt Of Malta is second vice
president. r. NJ. Harrington, hOrticuIturist
at Montana state college is secretary
treasurer.
Inspections for cer~tificatiOn are handled
by the Montana experiment station. During
the past year the inspectors were Mr.. Har-
rlngton, q. q. lsaacs, extension hOrticul-
turlSC, w. ~. P0lItnger, superintendent Of
the horticultural sub-tatiOn at Corvallis,
ana Z. Z. Starring assistant -hOrticulturist
at Montana State college.
The work Of developing the seed potato
Industry in the state is organized along
two lines which are closely allied and more
or less interwOven-prOductiOn and market
ing. production efforts have been devoted
20 the development and maintenance Of
high quality standards through inspections
and certificatiOn. Too rapid expansion of
acreage has been discouraged in order that
quality might not be sacrificed to quantity
Inere also mas been a very definite con-
centration Of effort to limit production to
only the strains which have proved
superior.
One of the chief efforts to develop mar
kets through the advertising of Montana
seed in the chief growing sections of the
south has been the annual variety test
conducted in. cooperation with the IOuisi-
ana experiment station. Since 1922 Dr., g.
Il; I1eDout, ho%rticulturist at the University
or Louisiana has tested out seed from
northern seed producing centers. The re-
port of the first test which was issued in
~, very definitely placed certain strains
Oh montana seed, particularly that pro-
duced by j. E. Sharples of Zurich, in the
lead over all competitors. Tests each veal
since then have verified this first result
Inc Sharples potatoes have consistently
outyledded the common seed in the soutI
from 90 to so bushels per acre and have
proved from 20 to 40 bushels better thar
the leading certified strains from othel
states.
Wide Attention Attracted
These annual tests have attracted wide
attention and nave done much to arOus,
Louisiana potato growers to the superi
Orlty OF Montana stock. After leadership il
the tests was established, the Montan;
experiment station directed a mOvemen
to place an entire carload of Montana seeC
at the disposal of Montana seed at the dis
] posal of the Louisiana Boys and Girls
ciu6 department. This carload was sent il
early spring of 1926 and planted by Al
club members in all parts Of the stat
during that season. A careful check OF
these potatoes showed hat the results OBJ
tanned more than Justified the expense. TIL
advertising received was highly beneficial
to Montana growers.
As a reSlt Of these efforts, representative
came to Montana in the summer Of 1925 {
contract all the certified Bliss Trump.
seed of the desired strains that they coul
get. At that time little was available, 70
the directors Of MOntana's potato improve
ment work made every effort to keep tn
most desirable seed in the state for fOun
dation stock from which to build a large
future production. This past season ha
been the first one that Montana has ha
{. surplus of any appreciate amount an
the 20 carloads available were eagerl
seized by Louisiana grOwers Next year
: is expected that production will be MOI
than doubled and southern representative
> are ready to contract for more than q
carloads.
Another line Of work which is relate
8 both to production and marketing is IL
: test work which the Montana experimeI
station is doing under Mr. Harrington
: direction, to try out promising straiI
: which growers of the state have develOpe
a These tests are conducted every year
the Montana experiment station at Boz
$ man, at the experimental farm at Flo
Ellis and at the Horticultural sub-statiC
at Corvallis. Growers who apply for cert