242 



Repoet ok Fakmeks' Institutes 



STANDARDIZATION OF POTATOES 

 E. II. FORRISTALL 



What I have to say will deal with methods and distances apart 

 of planting potatoes to insure desirable size potatoes. 



I call your attention especially to this board which represents 

 the size of potatoes as agreed upon for standards by the Cortland 

 County Potato Growers' Association. These meshes have a con- 

 stant variation in size from the largest to the smallest, and there 

 are six meshes in all. The Cortland County Potato Growers' 

 Association adopted, as a standard, meshes 2, 3 and 4 as repre- 

 senting the sizes of potatoes they would sell for seed, thereby es- 

 tablishing a standard for Cortland County potatoes. 



It goes without saying that they must be free from blemishes, 

 irregularities and diseases. I call your attention to these potatoes 

 that have been graded according to this standard. ISTote the 

 uniformity of these three lots graded through meshes 2, 3 and 4. 

 I might add- that these potatoes are known in Cortland County as 

 the Norcross Seedling, a white sprout potato of remarkably good 

 quality and noted as being a heavy yielder. 



The farmer who buys potatoes of these sizes will not have to 

 invest in a lot of potatoes varying in size from the very large to 

 the very small. He also is insured of a better crop than when he 

 invests in seed of all sizes. 



Let us look at this chart showing results of grading in tuber 

 unit work on the farm of Frank Carter : 



*Result of seed purchased from Mr. Carter by H. R. Talniage, Eiverhead, L. I., and planted 

 on Long Island. 



You will note that the number of units averaging 363 bushels 

 per acre gave a total of 87 per cent seed stock. Also, that those 



