SEED POTATOES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1560, 2 October 1912, Page 10

SEED POTATOES.

NEED 01? rEOrEU SEtECTIO.N-

Iteferring , to; the necessity for-prqper selection- of seed potatoes, JMr. j. 'jjvys(lale; o.t..tha',Wereroa State--Farm, remarks in the Agricultural Department's' "Joutnal," that the: all too common practice to.day is that'.in..place , df-tho.'iuost l,vpic«l and most vigorous tubers''being' chosen for seedr.p.urposes, it is aetitallj- the worst that are 'taken:. So genera!, is .this prac tice, says -Jlr.'- Brysdaje, that merchants in supplying-seed';seml out , potatoes v/hicli have r bsen quite diseardeil for ordinary market purposes—more of « type general-:. ]y. regarded as "pig; potatoes" Ihaa as being suitable for seed. .' ' In; selecting potatoes for,seal purposi* it is not to bo supposed that size is.everything. The large gross specimen is jui't ns undesirable n,s.a small weedy . tuber. The plants in the Sold' , should bq studied, nnd roots of'theniost thriving nnd vigorous ones. examined for thn°'desired iced. In choosing the seed potato the first thinjv'i.. see to ia y that the tuber-is of. the correct type .of'the particular , -; variety. Having this, the medium size should Oje preferred, providing—and;thi3Ms,'a;inost ihi.' portant point— the eyes are-well'defined i' and suggestive of strong development. "A large number of eyes is not always desir-; able,.just as merely one or. two eyes aru n ,; .weakness.:" A tuber wi'h : . 'a mcdnitn nnmberiof.cyes is tlio..lw»t type fo choove. The selected potatoes should -be .carefully -etored.in.,a cool place,. and preferably greened off befoTe planting. : ' '-, ■'. '•■Mr. -Drysclalo -is ; convinced. that if the sound rule.r-vere consistently.observpd—to select only the , strongest -and.ljest : types of' potatoes as sets for the subsequent wop—less -would -)nr heard -of blight, aud -failure. -Constitution in potatoes,'; as. in. 'everything-else-the farmer- iproducesj is of- pdrainount. importance.' . No farnVer \ who -'expects 'o make a success of graiuSrowing would 'think -for a- moment of pplecting his' "seconds" for 'seed purpos&j, either in wheat, oats, or barley,; and, just aj' the: culls' of; a'.; flock: or'.herd are the last chosen for-,perpetuating .the specks, to the undersized tuber,'selected at, random, and with of .constitutional vigour, should never be planted if a profl'.-ibliS and'healthy crop is to be eipseted. -j- At. the{ ;AVererpa tarin,. where, the Selection'of s?ed p.ota-■toss"ha^-.been icaTefully observed on the, 'Tules'lafd. d.o.wri above, the resultant crops havp.been singularly'free from blight. 'Experhnen'jS are.now'in progress to determine.' after. tuing-from season to reason ...generations '-of. the 'inc. type'-of ssleeted seed, it is not possible, to b» J nnite Independent of. spraying : for. blight, purihg the past season the Weireroa; selected feed has proved immune; but before making a "'definite pronouncement , on the subjfet it must bo further investigated.