Show SEED POTATOES washington D C mar the problem of securing healthy seed potatoes is 13 one ot of great importance in the irrigated west potato arow era of utah and idaho are warned b specialists of the U S department of agriculture that p potatoes grown in the east or in foreign countries are no healthier than those grown on the their irown own irrigated tracts an and d that t there b ere is always the danger of f cw a new ew diseases by planting imported seed d potatoes seed potatoes should be grown at home me in a specially ael taid seed plot land which has hai never been planted to potatoes potato ea but which has for several years year been under culli with alfalfa or grain is tip ap patently parent ly beat adapted for growing seed potatoes raw desert land should be avoided as it is ia not well adapted to potato stowing growing until it has first been in cult cultivation nation with mothr crops especially leguminous crops and grains the seed selected for such each a seed need plot should be wholly free from disease this can be accomplished io in the following manner select from your seed potatoes tubers which show no external evidence of disease such as russet or scab common scab or decays tubers tubera having small pockets of storage dry rot may be used provided the decay deay portion is cut out no trace of the dey decay matter should remain tubers tube externally free from e evidence of disease should then be cut cot into wed seed pieces the first cut be made mccrow the stem end the stem end portion should al always ll 11 a be discarded if there is any deep discoloration at the stem end athe the entire tuber should be dis carded but if apparently healthy the rest may be cut into seed pieces of the desired size after cutting the selected seed stock should bf be treated by soaking for 2 hours in a solution of corrosive sublimate the formula for making the corrosive sublimate dip is as follows follow to each 30 gallons of water add 4 ounces of corrosive sublimate which has first been din dissolved solved in a little hot water in making and using the solution only wooden glass or pro celane vessels 1 Is should be employed corrosive sublimate is a deadly poison and both the solution and the potatoes treated should be kept out of reach of farm stock the seed plot should be given the best possible care as potatoes poorly cared for are apparently more susceptible to disease attacks than those which are given the best op port unity ty to grow and mature potatoes selected and planted in this manner should give a product comparatively ively free from disease through it must be admitted that the planting of disease free seed annew on new land is not a guarantee of a disease free product A diseased product will mean that the land is infected and that other land should be used for the seed plot another year |