578 



Reading-iCourse for Farmers. 



three years of selection. The following table quoted from Mr. Wade's 

 report summarizes the results clearly.* 



Summary of Results from use of Seed Potatoes from High-Yield- 

 ing Hills and from Low-Yielding Hills. 



(Variety, Carman No. 3) 



It will be seen from this table that the average yield of the 100 heavy 

 hills for the three years was 138 pounds against a similar average of 

 73 pounds for the light-yielding hills. This and other experiments 

 indicate the importance of the hill selection of potatoes and the writer 

 believes that breeding work of this nature will prove very valuable for 

 the potato-grower to pursue with the view to improving the seed primarily 

 for his own cultivation and possibly also for sale. Following is a short 

 outline of two such methods of breeding which will serve as a guide to 

 farmers and breeders starting work of this kind. The first of these 

 methods is rather complex and more suited to growers desiring to grow 

 seed for sale. The second method (see page 765) is the more simple 

 and seems to the writer to be satisfactor}^ for use of farmers generally, 

 and he believes that every farmer growing potatoes extensively should 

 use regularly some such method as one or the other of these. 



first method of POTATO SELECTION 



Selection of Foundation Stock of Potatoes 



Probably no crop generally grown is more influenced by environment 

 than the potato. The experience of growers indicates that a variety 

 found to be the best suited to the local conditions on one farm may not 

 prove to be the variety best suited to the conditions existing on an 

 adjoining farm. It thus becomes desirable for any farmer who is grow- 



* C. W. Wade. " Results of Hill Selection of Seed Potatoes." 

 Association Report Vol. III., pp. 191-198 (1907). 



Am. Breeders 



