THE MONTHLY BULLETIN 



CALIFORNIA STATE COMMISSION OF HORTICULTURE. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE IN ITS BROADEST SENSE, WITH SPECIAL 



REFERENCE TO PLANT DISEASES, INSECT PESTS, AND 



THEIR CONTROL. 



Sent free to all citizens of the State of California. Offered in exchange for bulletins 

 of the Federal Government and experiment stations, entomological and mycological 

 journals, agricultural and horticultural papers, botanical and other publications of a 

 similar nature. 



A. J. Cook, State Commissioner of Horticulture Censor 



E. J. VosLER, Secretary State Commission of Horticulture Editor 



ASSOCIATE EDITORS. 



Geo. p. "Weldon Chief Deputy Commissioner 



Harry S. Smith Superintendent State Insectary 



Frederick Maskew Chief Deputy Quarantine Officer 



Entered as second class matter December 29, 1911. at the post office at Sacramento, 

 California, under the act of July 16, 1894. 



Some Fundamentals of Success for Securing Large Yields of 



Potatoes. — The |)(){;it(i ui-owtM' .should .sclcci tlic licst seed slock ohtMili- 

 al)l(' of the variety wliich has beini found ta produce the l)est results in 

 Jiis locality. lie sliould procure ''certified" seed if possible, but if this 

 is not to be obtained he should ^et as nearly disease-free stock as is pos- 

 sible and try to secure %vhat is known to be a productive strain. For 

 California the variety which is likely to produce the best results will 

 probably be one of the fallowing: Burbank, Russet Burbank, American 

 Wonder, for the long varieties; and Rural Xew Yorker. Garfield. Scotch 

 Rose, or British Queen, for the medium to round varieties. 



As nearly all seed .stock is more or less affected with scab or Rhizoc- 

 tonia it should be soaked in a solution of corrosive sublimate, made by 

 dissolving 4 oz. of mercuric chloride (corrosive sublimate) in a (piart 

 of hot water and then adding HO gallons of cold water. Soak the pota- 

 toes for one and one-half hoiii's. pi-eferably just before cutting. The 

 .solution should be kept in wooden receptacles and handled with care, 

 as it is very jxji.sonous. After treatment the seed may be cut and 

 planted at once or dried and germinated l)efore planting. 



The land selected for growing the potatoes should preferably be a 

 rich sandy or gravelly loam which has iKjt been in potatoes for at least 

 four years. Alfalfa sod, when plowed deeply and thoroughly fitted, 

 makes excellent ground for this purpose; although many other .soils 

 when thoroughly fitted and given i)roper care, with plenty of fertilizer, 

 will produce large crops of potatoas. 



The seed should be cut so that each piece contains at lea.st two eyes. 

 ]\Iany experiments have shown that, as a rule, the larger the seed piece 

 the greater the yield. INIuch depends upon the condition of the seed 

 when planted. It should be firm and only slightly, if at all, germinated. 

 Badly germinated seed has lo.st much of its food material and hence can 

 not give the young plant as strong a start as firm seed. 



