Nj. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 705 



of the barrow. Eacli should be provided with a thin-bladed knife 

 and when a tuber has two good buds it is divided as equally as pos- 

 sible without injury to the buds and the pieces immediately and care- 

 fully placed in the bottom of the furrow, the buds pointing upward. 

 When there is only a single well-developed bud the tuber is planted 

 whole. Earth to cover them is drawn into the furrow with a hand- 

 hoe." 



Modifiedi Method of Budding. — The description quoted is given on 

 account of its value to the grower of extra early potatoes, and es- 

 pecially for the reason that a modification of this method has value 

 for all growers. While earliness of maturity is sought by those 

 using trays for budding, there iis a big gain in the vigor of the plants. 

 Not only is the time between planting and harvesting shortened, but 

 yields are increased as a result of increased vigor of the vines. This 

 makes the matter of budding interesting to all growers. It is not 

 feasible to expose all seed to the light in trays and then to plant by 

 hand, but we have learned that seed may be spread over the floors 

 of barns, sheds, etc., for ten days or more before planting with good 

 results. It is important that the tubers be spread very thin — one- 

 deep is best — and that light be admitted freely. The buds push 

 quickly and are thick and vigorous. The air makes the sprouts tough 

 so that they do not break off in planting, and any bad seed can be 

 thrown out. Such method is becoming common in sections practic- 

 ing very late planting. The seed can be kept for weeks in late spring 

 without injury when exposed to sunlight. If placed in a dark room, 

 or if not turned occasionally, the sprouts grow white, tender and 

 long, and break off when handled in planting. The secret of success 

 in budding is to keep the potato in so much light that the sprout will 

 not push out toward it, but will rest in it developing thickness and 

 fitting itself for strong growth when the undeveloped roots at its 

 base are given soil and moisture. This plan is suited to the needs 

 of the late or June-planted crop. There is yet another modification of 

 the system of budding that is adajjted to the needs of the farmer 

 who plants his crop in early spring, and it will be described under 

 the head of "planting." 



Varieties. — A glance at the results of variety tests at the various 

 Stations impresses the truth that financial success or failure in po- 

 tato-growing may be determined by the choice of variety. Growing 

 under even conditions, one variety gives less than one-half the num- 

 ber of bushels per acre yielded by another variety. The soil may be 

 right, the culture good and the seed in first class condition, but if 

 the variety is not right, the yield will be relatively small. The va- 

 rieties of potatoes are numbered by the hundreds in this country 

 alone. Many of them never had sufficient value to justify their in- 

 45—6—1902 



