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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (May 28, 1914)
11 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" B.vk irsci by Colorado growers 4Q $ - i This is the second of B scries of $ articles discussing iiotuto grow- ' ing. $ . 4 ?$' $ Ey 0. M. MORBIS, Horticulturist; J. G. HALL, Plant Pathologist, and M, A. YGTKEU3, Asst. Entomologist THEHE are few agricultural crops grown that are cnpable of greater increase in the average, yields than the potato. The plant is grown as an annual, but is reproduced from a eut ting of the tuber, which is an under ground stem. . The young plants draw their nourish ment from the piece of potato used as seed and arc strong or weak in propor tion to the nourishment obtained. Small seed pieces produce small plants. Small potatoes used' whole as seed have only a small amonnt 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 piece 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 suitable for the general crop and should not be propagated from. TI10 most desirable plnnt 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 irom its potatoes, if they are grown under Bimilar soil aud cli matic conditions. This fundamental principle is the basis of the fact that the best results aro obtained hi growing potatoes if the hill is used as the unit of selection in stead of the single potato. Tho selection of seed potatoes from the bin, pile or sack is not satisfactory becanse the good individual potatoes selected may be from a hill that produced very few potatoes or from one that produced only HOMO'S IfimV CROP, IMPORTANT FOOD PLANTS (Avert for f Year, 190-1910. ) Crop Ten. wm Pottp 154,000,000 L iConi 113, 000, 000 r irhat ,107,000,000g Oat. ,67,000,000 ftic 7, 000, 000 for cutting seed potatoes. one or two good potatoes and a large number of small ones. The use of small potatoes that are sorted oufas cul'ls has the same objection and generally pro duces plants that produce a large num ber of small potatoes. Some of the most successful large growers in the ltoeky Mountain states select their seed very carefully and plant special seed patches, la these patches the rows are about 3li inches apart and the hills about six to eight inches apart in the row. Planted this close the plants do not produce large potatoes, but a great many. The small to medium sized ones are used as seed and are planted whole. Running Out " When a variety becomes less vigors ous, less productive, or the potatoes be come of lesB desirable form, we say that the variety has "run out." This change of character is nearly al ways due to come 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 standard of the variety. These localities are exceptional and the growers in most regions should endeavor to improve their crops rather than let them "run out" aud coustautly ship in fresh Beed. 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 use. The Burbank is planted more widely in this Btatc than any other variety. It is the leading variety in tho irrigated regions, the up lands enst of the Cascade Mountains and is the main crop variety in several localities in Western Washington. Of tho diseases of the potato that oc cur iu this country five aro known to cause damage in this state. These five are "Late Blight," "Khizocetonia," -4 Scab," "Dry Eot," and "Black Leg." In some regions of the irrigated sections of the state "Dry Hot" and "Black Leg" are reported as doing as much as forty per cent 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 the surface wa ter does not evaporate so rapidly from these points. These diseased areas soon die and turn brown and if the weather conditions are favorable finally become black. This discoloration is often ac companied by the crumpling of the leaves. The diseased leaves finally un dergo a total deeay, which often has an offensive and characteristic odor. Tubers Infection Source. Upon the lower side of the leaves the spots arc seen to be covered with a very delicate whitish gray downy coat, caused by the fungus (Phytophthera in- festans (Mont. DeBy). From thiB downy coat are produced the spores which, under favorable circumstances, cause new SKts upon the potato leaves. Besides the leaves the disease also attacks the steins, 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 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 brownish color, aud when suit able weather conditions prevail fur nish the spores that, cause a general epidemic of the disease. The Now York Experiment Station at Geneva has conducted experiments, the results of which go to prove the statements that the tubers .are the main, if not the only, source of early infec ion of the plants in the field. Automobile Trips! Have you evr stopped to think how you will carry your clothes and provisions on yonr marti'me, or how you will keep the parish :iblc food eool on a hot ly? If tiofr Write or S&9 SMITH Ha Make3 the , AUTOMOBILE ICE BOX Guaranteed to keop things cool. And He Makes Anything Else ou Need for the 1 rip. 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