13
Growing Good Potatoes in the Pacific Northwest
Some Ideas on the Homely "Spud" by Men Who Know Whereof They Write.
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
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usei by Colorado growers for cutting seed potatoes.
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Ey 0. M. MOREIS, Horticulturist; J. O.
HALL, Plant Pathologist, and M. A.
YOTHEKS, Asst. Entomologist
THERE are few agricultural crops
grown that are capable of greater
increase in the averugo yields than
the potato. The plant is grown as an
annual, but is reproduced from a cut
ting of tho tuber, which is an under
ground stem! ,
The young plants draw their nourish
ment from the piece of potato used as
seed and are strong or weak in propor
tion to the nourishment obtained.
Small seed pieces produce . Bmull
plants. Small potatoes used whole as
seed have only a small amount of food
for the young plants.
The general characteristics of the en
tire plant are more definitely repro
duced in propagation than the special
character of the small pieco of the plant
used as the means of reproduction.
Most Desirable Plant.
The plant that produces a large num
ber of small potatoes is not Biiitable for
the general crop and should not be
propagated from. The most desirable
plant is the one that produces a fair
number of good, well-developed, med
ium to large potatoes of uniform size.
The general characteristics of this de
sirable plant will be reproduced in the
plants grown from its potatoes, if they
are grown under similar soil and cli
matic conditions.
This fundamental principle is the
baBis of the fact that the best results
are obtained in growing potatoes if the
hill is used as the unit of selection in
stead of the singlo potato. The solection
of seed potatoes from the bin, pile or
sack is not satisfactory because the
good individual potatoes selected may
be from a hill that produced very few
potatoes or from one that produced only
one or two good potatoes and a large
number of small ones. The use of small
potatoes that are aorted out as culls has
the Bame objection and generally pro
duces plants that produce a large num
ber of small potatoes.
Some of the most successful large
growers in the Rocky Mountain states
select their seed very carefully and
plant special seed patches. In these
patches the rows are about 30 inches
apart and 'the hills about six to eight
inches apart in the row. Planted, this
elose tho plants do not produce large
potatoes, but a great many. The small
to medium sized ones are used as seed
and are planted whole. 1 1 .
Running Out.
When a variety becomes less vigor
ous, less productive, or the potatoes be
come of less desirable form, we say that
the variety has "run out."
This chango of character is nearly al
ways due to some less favorable soil, or
climatic conditions, or to poor selection
of seed.
In some localities it is' cheaper to im
port seed from other districts than to
give the extra care and attention neces
sary in cultivation and seed selection to
maintain the staudard of the variety.
These localities are exceptional and the
growers in most regionB should endeavor
to improve their erops rather than' let
them "run out" and constantly- ship in
fresh seed.
- Varieties.
In the State of Washington tho local
conditions vary so greatly that best
varieties for any ' region can be de
termined only by actual trial.' A little
inquiry among the local growers will
enable the planter to decide on the best
variety for his tiBe. The Burbank is
planted more widely in this state than
any other variety. It is the leading
variety in the irrigated regions, the up
lands east of the Cascade Mountains
and is the main crop variety in several
localities in Western Washington.
Of the diseases of the potato that oc
cur in this country five are known to
cause damage in this state. These five
are ' ' Late Blight, " " Rhizocctonia, ' '
WORLD'S VEARLV "CROP,' IMPORTANT FOOD PLANTS
(Average for Years, 1904-1910.),
Crop
Tent ,
Potatoes 16, OOP, OOP L.
fcorn' '.U3,O00,.O00f
1 .
nu.u nmn aiJimuu. M ,.?',
iilH i'ifflll.li..iillJtfafiiiM
Jfh.at ,107.000.000,,,.;,,-'
Rler ,67,000,000 rgT
W ,000,000
"Scab," "Dry Rot," and "Black
Leg." In some regions of the irrigated
sections of the state "Dry Rot" and
"Black Leg" are reported as doing as
much as forty per eent damage to the
crop.
This disease is more prevalent west of
the Cascade Mountains, where the
climate is favorable for its develop
ment, than in the eastern part of the
state. The disease appears on any part
of the leaf, but usually the spots show
first near the tip or margin. This may
be due to the fact that tho surface wa
ter does not evaporate so rapidly from
these points. The6e diseased areas soon
die and turn brown and if the weather
conditions are favorable finally become
black. This discoloration iB often ac
companied by the crumpling of tho
leaves. The diseased leaves finally un
dergo a total decay, which often has an
offensive and characteristic odor.
Tubers Infection Source.
Upon the lower side of the leaves the
spots are seen to be covered with a very
delicate whitish gray downy coat,
caused by the fungus (Phytophthera in
festans (Mont. DeBy). From this
downy coat are produced the spores
which, under favorable circumstances,
cause new spots upon the potato leaves.
Besidos the leaves the disease sIbo
attacks the stems, causing them to de
cay. The disease causes sunken, dark
colored areas upon the surface of the
tubers themselves (Fig. 2), while the
normal white of the inside becomes a
dirty brown. The disease in dry weath-s
er causes a dry rot of the tuber and in
wet weather a wet rot. . This disease
continues to live in the tubers in stor
age, producing a rot and so, causes a
large loss. The signs given above are
the usual ones to attract attention in
the first place, but the disease really
commences as soon as the sprouts start
from infected seed. Such shoots do not
develop normally, but remain dwarfed,
take on a lyownieh color, and when suit
able weather conditions prevail fur
nish the spores that cause a general
epidemic of tho disease.
The New York Experiment Station
at Geneva has conducted experiments,
the results of which go to prove the
statements that tho tubers are the main,
if not the only, source of early infec
ion of the plants in the field.
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