Show GOOD SEED POTATOES AND V HO THEY MAY BE BEST PION PUT POT ON MARKET 1 Government Bulletin Deals Exhaustively Exhaustively Exhaustively Ex- Ex With Topic of Importance Production of or seed potatoes la is tho the subject treated in Farmers Bulletin So No o. o of tho United States department dopart- dopart ment of or agriculture as which 1 la is now eady for distribution The bulletin Is I JM prepared spared b by William Stuart Copies Caples of at this bulletin ma may be had b by writing the hc department of or agriculture a or at the local offices of or tho the Oregon Short Line I. I An n introductory excerpt from the bulletin bul hul- letin follows A stud study of at the statistical l data upon potato crop production In tho United states for or the last Jast forty ti years re reveals reveals re- re th the th Interesting fact that during the first year five period tho aY average per acre yield in bushels bushel was practically the same as that orthe of or the last year five period 1908 th the yield for the tho earlier period being 9 9 NS S I as Ls s against bushels for fOl the latter cycle The P-ho intervening tl e year five ear periods show shot a fairly uniform decline fu fn u each direction reaching its lowest level lc between 1888 and 1892 This period happens to be bo the intermediate one of or the year five cycles studied Wo We Weare 0 are ro practically at the same game point in lii acro production as ItS were our fore rore- fathers Our increased production has there therefore tore been duo to larger Irger acreage l than to higher yields 1 The gradual decline In yields durnS' durnS dur- dur pg nS' the first half of t this period Is thought to be largely duo to tho the following fol fol- fol- fol towing lowing factors 1 The ravages occasioned b by tho the Colorado potato beetle during the arly J-arly 1111 period of at Its Ils Invasion of the tho east- east rn rn rn United States Slates 2 Tho The financial depressions o of oC 57 1 7 and 1893 which brought about a well marked decline In agriculture in ew ew England Now ow York and tho the other 3 teaVy producing potato areas s of at tho t northeastern United States 3 0 A gradual depletion of oC soil solI far fer t duty Ift I Of th the factors which have havo checked downward tendency enc and anil contributed contrib contrib- JI ed most largely toward a a. return to the lic old production level the following ln aro arc thought to have been most pon po- po u-nt u n t Z 1 D The The- influence f for of or th the agricultural tp experiment tv stations a agricultural colleges col col- leges and ad the United States iii 11 nl of agriculture through experimentation demonstration and dissemination I tIon of literature 2 The influence of the Bordt Bordeaux Bordeaux- aux aux- turo Mii treatment in tho control of fungous diseases affecting tho po po- po- po tato to S Tho The development of or special po- po Tato lato sections as ns for example Aroostook roo tool count county Me e. e the Atlantic N astal Dastal plain trucking legion cS tho the lire le and Carbondale districts of ot Colorado and many other areas arcas In which the average n yield Is approximately from two to three times the general average for the tho United States In comparing the average crop production production pro pro- of oC potatoes In the tho United Stated tates 1 with that of or Germany German and Great Britain one cannot but be impressed with tho the fact that generally speaking ye WC e have much yet ct to learn before we can can raise our average e to that of or these two countries During the years ears 1901 to 10 1910 1010 inclusive the average acre of ot both Germany Getman and md Great Britain Bri Bri- tam tain wa was wag approximately OO bushels while that of or tho United States was riot not quite 93 bushels Of or the man many causes CI which operate ti to pro produce uco a low average 1 o potato yield In this country poor IOOr seed Is thought to bo be o an Important ohe one Tho The American potato grower pays pals too little ittle attention to lo his seed potatoes The European rowers growers especially those of or Great Gre-at Britain and Germany pay pao ver very strict the and quantity of at seed they use us' This has has' led to the differentiation of or tho the potato industry In into to seed and crop specialists The seed specialist makes a c. business of while tho the producing quality high seed crop specialist produces a n. high grado grade table talle potato No o such differentiation at least to tho the same extent occurs In Inthis inthis this country It Is true truo that in certain sections we Ve now nn have a well developed seed potato industry but comparatively fow tow growers browers in these sections aro are paying sufficient attention to tho the elimination of ot diseased and un unproductive unproductive productive strains or to keeping tho the variety grown free from mixture with other varieties It is believed however how how- over ever that tho time timo Is ripe f for r de demanding do- do manding a better grado of or seed po potatoes po- po than Is Ia now generally generall obtainable obtain obtain- ablo able from either cither or growers What Constitutes Constitute I Good Sr Seeds r Tho The question of ot what cons constitutes good 1 Is ig 3 a a. vital Star ore one anti and possibly no two pcr persons ons would fully agree In er c every particular U upon on this point It would seem m however that the followIng follow follow- Ing lug factors j pla play lay an Important role Pure Puro seed from Crom productive plants not overripe o uniform in size and shape firm and nud sound sOundS with yiti first sprouts Ju Just t showing at planting timo time Seed of or such quality If It furnished suitable cultural cul cul- tural turn conditions will seldom fall fail to produce a I. I remunerative crop A conservative con con- er estimate of ot the increase that might ml-ht be expected from rpm the Use Usa of at high grade grado seed is certainly not less than 10 per cent Such an increase b bated based ed on the average a of ot th the past five years would amount to over bushels having an approximate Valuation of at I ro m r Productive odo the Plant Plan t tu Comparative Comparatively little attention has bas as yet et been given glnn to tho Uta subject of ot the tho productiveness or unproductiveness of certain strains of at plante within a a. va va- va- va riet It is believed that this is a very ry important factor in the production tion of ot larg large yields J as in any variety It if studied closely man many unproductive plants may b bo ho found This assumption i Is amply substantiated in tho results secured from Investigations undertaken undertaken under under- taken by the office of or horticultural Inv inVestigation in In- In v and Arlington experimental mental farm during the tho seasons o of 1911 and 1912 The strong plants gave over sixteen en times Umes as large a n. yield of at primes or merchantable tubers tube and only a n. little over over twice as as man many culls as did ld the tho weak t plants The data also showed another inter Inter- esting ta fact t the Imp importance of ot which i la Is brought out in tho the discussion of at another phase of or the question of or good toed seed and this thi was with respect to the average weight of or the primes primM and culls It was found that the 11 average wel weight ht of ot tho the large tubers tubera from the strong plants was 53 63 ounces as against 38 8 ounces from the weak cak ones onos while In tho case caso of or the small smaIl tubers the weights wore were 17 an and 1 Li 11 1 ounce re re- re SD y In considering th the re results of ot this investigation it should be borne In mind that a a. comparison n of at two ex cx- cx simply serves nerves to Illustrate In a n. more forcible manner the desirability of at securing seed from vigorous healthy and prod productive plants s |