THE AMERICAN METHOD OF RAISING POTATOES FROM THE SEED.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume II, Issue 4, 30 April 1856, Page 1

THE AMERICAN METHOD OF RAISING POTATOES FROM THE SEED.

We are inclined to think that the American method of raising potatoes from the seed has already appeared in the pages of the "Maori Messenger." Whether it has or not, we consider the subject of improved potatoe culture —such as the raising of a new and healthy breed of the root—a breed not only freed of the diseaite now so prevalent, but likely to be more adapted to this climate—of so much consequence to the best interests of the New Zealand cultivator, that we have no hesitation in once again directing the most careful attention to the subject. The potatoes of Australia, however good they may be during the early part of the year, will not keep. And towards the end of the season the root is generally, high in price in the Sydney and Melbourne Markets, Were it not for the worm, the inherent quality of the New Zealand potatoe, is of a firm and enduring kind, and were that scourge eradicated our farmers might hold back their stocks, and find a most remunerative market on the other side. Unfortunately our New Zealand potato sets are in a very large degree, the reproductions of the Van Piemen's Land tubers,

themselves an unvarying reproduction of themselves. Disease has for many years extensively prevailed in the Tasmanian roots. And, since the time of the Californian trade, the worm has been the scourge and the bane of ours. If, then, potatoes are to be looked to as a New Zealand export, no pains should be spared by the grower to raise an article which shall be sound, safe, and marketable. The American system, by growing from the seed, seems likely to achieve that end, and we therefore hope to see it fully and fairly tried. FROM THE AGRICULTURAL REPORT TO CONGRESS. On the subject of the decay of trees, bulbs, tubers, and roots, Mr. Clarke says u It is a principle that plants, which are usually propagated from the bulb, root, or tuber, lose after a lime their - procreative or vivifying power, and it is necessary to resort to the original element or seed. The Hop would lose much of its strength and productiveness, except for the introduction of an occasional male plant. The dahlia requires to be renewed, and it is impossible to preserve for any length of time any particular spseizes of apple or pear by continued engrafting. The bulb, the tuber, and the tree all grow old, and require to be renwed from the seed. This principle is strikingly illustrated in the case of the Lorubardy poplar, uow in a slate of decay all over the United States. This tree, from the luxuriance of its growth, symmetry of its proportions, and the beauty of the foliage, was an universal favourite, and gained the nameof the 1 tree of civilization.' It was brought to America by the late Chancellor Livingston, about forty five years ago, and has been propagated from cuttings alone. The female tree only was introduced, and it now bids fair to become extinct. "Without inquiring whether the rot which has so extensively prevailed in the potato crop is owing to the fact that it is cultivated from the tuber, and not from the seed, it is true that certain vai ieiies of the patato do resist the disease more than others. It is desirable to ascertain whether new varieties raised from the seed are less liable to be attacked by the disease than old, and experiments should be extensively tried and the results carefully noted. " It becomes, therefore, desirable to know the best mode of propagating the potato from the seed. For this purpose, select good, fair sized, ripe potatoe balls, from the

best varieties of potatoes, cut the balls open, and wash the p Ip containing the seed in water, until the seeds are entirely separated from the pulp and perfectly clean, then strain them out of the water and dry them; examined with a microscope, they have the appearance of the seeds of the summer squash. The seed should be started in a hot-bed, so that the plants will be about three inches high when the weather is so warm that there h no danger from frost. They should then be carefully transplanted into warm, rich, and mellow earth, and set in drills 2| feet apart, and 10 inches from each other in the drill. The vines of potatoes thus set by me in 4849 grew strong and thriity, 3 feet in he'ght, blossomel, arid bore balls, from which I have now the seed. Many of the potatoes attained a fail size, weighing in many instances six. ounces each, and were good edible potatoes. In one season I have thus obtained over one hundred varieties." Mr. Clarke adds:—"Thus for two successive yeaas the potatoes raised from the seed have been in no wise affected by the rot, and if there was not a potato in America, I should uot despair of having a tolerable supply of good edible potatoes the first year from the seed. The common imprcssiou that three years are necessary to propagate potatoes from the seed is erroneous, and I impute the rapid growth and large size in the instance alluded to, to the perfect mode of saving the seed, aud to high and judicious cultivation. " Mr. A. Killam, of Mexico, N. Y., has bad great success in growing tubers from the seeds in potato balls. Tubers produced from seeds gave 1751b5, of excellent potatoes to the square rod, and 230 bushels on a half acre ; although an early frost killed the tops before the plants had ceased to grow. Mr. K. says:—l ploughed the land six inches deep, planted the potatoes three inches deep, leaving the hills level with the earth : and I planted the rows three feet apart, with the bills two feet from the centre, making 44 hills to the square rod, and 7841 to the acre. Allowing 44 hills to the bushel, as some of mine yielded gives SOO bushels to the acre. / fully believe, that if I had seed from the balls sufficient to plant an acre, and cultivated them as J did tchat I planted, they would have produced at least 500 bushels. We take this occasion to repeat, v hat we have said elsewhere in connection with an analysis of potatoes, that wood ashes in addition to a rich mould, are exceedingly valuable as a fertilizer for this crop."