White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-02-08
QUOTING $40 PER TON
FOR Melted GEM seed


years is the potato deal will probably
make many people shy at the potato
game for the coming season. When
seed growers producing certified seed
are quoting this at $4,000 per ton
f. o. b. shipping point and one of these
delivered at Kennewick, in two or two
and half ton lots, at these prices,
those interested in the growing OF
Melted Gems should at least be inter-
ested in seed of this quality. We be-
lieve that growers who are contempla-
ting growing Melted Gems should
make every effort to secure this type
of seed for the coming season. The
County Agent has had several letters
from growers stating that they are
willing to take this price for good seed
stock, and some Of it having even been
grown under the tuber unit method
which should guarantee about as good
grade of seed as is possible. We
would be glad to pass this information
on to any one interested. Il
We found during the spring and
summer season last year, general
lack of information as to just what
was certified seed. Potatoes are sub
ject to many diseases, the better
known ones, being Scab, Rhizoctonia,
and Blight. These diseases are control
led by seed treatment or spraying OF
the vines in the case Of Blight.
Several other diseases which are
coming to be more generally known
by the potato growers are those which
the Plant Disease Specialist recog-
nized in general way, as the running
out diseases. These diseases include,
Leaf Roll, Leaf Curl, Spindle Tuber,
and Mosai'. These diseases can not be
reached in any way by seed treatment
but must be overcome by elimination
of the hills producing this kind of
potato as grown in the field plot.
Potatoes having this disease very often
are the incest looking potatoes of the
variety and there is no way OF telling
by study of the seed as to whether 1t
is infected. That is the reason for the
seed certification law which was pass
ed few years ago. A grower of certi-
fled seed must have his field inspected
and must have low percentage of
these diseases showing in the field and
then must weed out the hills showing
the disease. In this way, good grade
of seed nearly free Of these running
out diseases, is produced, and the
grower thus producing it, is given
certificate of certification and furnish
ed with blue tags printed by the State
Department Of Agriculture, to show
that this seed is certified. Certification
merely guarantees that this seed has
low percentage Of the running out
diseases which SO seriously effect
yield. However, seed is not Certified
Ftlssf NJ sadly affsctsd with SsabrsoE
RhixoctOnia.
According to Mr.. Armstrong, the
extension Specialist in Horticulture,
it is not necessary to treat seed to be
used in growing the late or main crop
of potatoes here in this section, since
Rhizoctonia develops in cool climate
rather than during warm weather such
as exists when the late crop is planted
here.
With certified seed from a good
source and the grower following tine
recommendations of the Irrigation
Branch Station at Prosser on potato
production, we believe that it should
be possible to produce good crop OF
good quality and which should provide
the maximum amount of marketable
potatoes per acre. Some dernonstra
tons on potato prediction are being
starter this year including the above
work.
E. c. DURDLE, County Agent.