706 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



troduelion, wliile some have peculiar litaess for the climatic and soil 

 conditions of limited areas and are valueless outside of those sec- 

 tions. There remain a few score of varieties that were decided ac- 

 quisition, when put upon the market, and of these few score it is tlhe 

 individual grower's business to select Ihe one or ones most valuable 

 to him. 



How they Originate. — Most new varieties are seedlings, though a 

 few of our valuable ones are "sports" from old varieties, their char- 

 acteristics having been fixed by careful selection. Seedlings are 

 fairly easy to produce, but probably not one variety out of ten thou- 

 sand secured proves actually to be worthy of introduction. The true 

 seed of the potato is in the seed" ball. The ball is dried, the seed is 

 removed, and should be planted in early spring in pots. Transplant- 

 ing in the earth is done when the weather becomes warm, and these 

 plants produce tubers of many shapes and colors. Selection of the 

 most promising ones is made, and each one should be planted by it- 

 self. If the crop from any one again gives promise of value, it is 

 made the basis of a new variety whose characteristics are fixed by 

 selection of tubers true to the type. Years are required to fix char- 

 acteristics, and finally, when tested by the side of an old variety, it 

 may prove inferior. It has cost time and money, and the tempta- 

 tion is to push it upon the market with extravagant claims of merit. 

 These facts are not given for the discouragement of beginners in the 

 work of developing new varieties. Within bounds it is a labor to 

 be commended to the grower who has a little leisure and some taste 

 lor such work. There is always the chance of bringing into exist- 

 ence something of decided value that not only will add substan- 

 tially to the wealth of the country, but also will make a good cash re- 

 turn to the introducer. It is a safe guess that varieties will be found 

 in the future whose merit will exceed anything we have, and the men 

 who produce them will serve the people as well as themselves indi- 

 vidually. But the chances of failure are mentioned that we may be 

 slow to invest in every novelty that is placed before the public. New 

 varieties that are decided acquisitions, possessing a merit in higher 

 degree than any other, are added very slowly to the list of safe va 

 rieties for planting. 



How to Test. — There is a very general disposition on the part of 

 farmers to give an extra chance to a new and costly variety they pur- 

 pose testing. If the purpose is to find something of extra merit to 

 take the place of a variety in use, the place to test is in the field under 

 field conditions. If it cannot show superiority in a row side by side 

 with the variety that is furnishing the income from the crop, it is 

 a poor investment. It should have the same tillage, fertilization 

 and, shall I say neglect, that are given to the general crop. If it then 

 show superiority, it is worthy of another trial to indicate its action 

 under other seasonal conditions. Rigid tests are the only ones 



