Show degeneration of the potato except with those who desire to originate new varieties the potato is 19 propagated from the tt tubers ibers and with ith some sorts orts tin this is kept up so continuously it is sometimes said that if favorable conditions of culture and soil m were ere always offered a variety will not run out from natural degeneracy whether this be true theoretically or not experience has shown tha the common methods methode of culture and selection of seed which have won been practiced by farmers rs varie varieties that wern wera once the best beat known and most valued have degenerated or run out to such an extent that their names are scarcely ever mentioned among some of these old time timers rs may be named the Na shannock and tho the lon long john the first not surpassed for general excellence nor the latter for great productiveness and long keeping qualities by any of our newer sorts later came caino tho the to bear tho the palm for a few years and then retire into comparative obscurity no better evidence of habitual degeneration in the potato can be adduced than thu the fact that our prevailing types are seedlings of more modern modem origin another characteristic of the potato plant de deber berving of mention and difficult to account for ii 14 the scarcity of bloom and seed balls in most or of the file new varieties as aa compared with those of fifty years ago |