Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 197, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1914 — IMPORTANCE OF SEED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

IMPORTANCE OF SEED

X. _ *' lir I POTATO GROWER PAYB LITTLE ATTENTION TO QUALITY. . * .i w Comparatively Few Growers Give Sufficient Thought to Elimination of Diseased and Unproductive Strains of Tubers. * -- (By WILLIAM STUART,) . Of the many causes whicji operate to produce a low average potato yield in this country, poor seed is thought to be a very important one. The American potato grower pays too little attention to his seed potatoes, The European growers, especially those of Gc6at Britain and Germany, pay very strict attention to the quality and quantity of the seed they use. This has led to a differentiation of the potato industry into seed and crop specialists. The seed specialist makes a business of producing high-quality seed, while the crop specialist pro-

duces a high-grade table potato. No such differentiation at least to the same extent, occurs in thip country. It is true that in certain sections we a well-developed seed-pota-to-|rowing industry, but comparatively few growers in these sections are paying sufficient attention to .the elimination of diseased and unproductive strains or to keeping the variety grown free from mixture with other varieties. It is believed, however, that the time is ripe for demanding a better grade of seed potatoes than is now generally obtained from either seedsmen or growers. The question of what constitutes good seed is a vital one, and possibly no two s * persons would fully agree in every particular upon this point. It would seem, however, that the following factors play an important role: Pure seed from productive plants, not over ripe, uniform in size and shape, Arm and sound, with first sprouts just showing at planting time. Seed of such quality, if furnished suitable cultural conditions, will seldom fall to produce a remunerative crop. A conservative estimate of the Increase that

No. I—Strong Units. No. 2—Yield From Tuber-Units Shown In No. 1. No. 3—Yield the Following Beason From Five of the Beet Tuber-Units In No. 2. might be expected from the use of high-grade seeds is certainly not less than ten per cent. Such an increase, based on the average of the past five years, would amount to over thirtyfour and one-fourth million bushels, having an approximate valuation of $21,000,000.

Stem Rot Fungus.