SOLANACE^ 577 



white-fleshed tubers are the only ones accepted in American 

 markets. Yellow flesh is correlated with a strong flavor and 

 a poor quality, at least according to American standards. 

 A number of yellow-fleshed varieties from France are found 

 to be gummy and hard after boiling. They are considered 

 by the French to be of prime quality, however. In this coun- 

 try, these varieties are considered of good quality for the 

 making of salads and for frying. 



Eyes (Fig. 236). — The buds of the potato tuber usually 

 occur in groups, each group lying in a more or less depressed 

 area. Such a group of buds is called the "eye." The 

 depression is the axil of a scaly leaf which was in evidence 

 when the tuber was young, but later disappears. The "eye 

 brow" ("eye yoke") is the line above the depression — the 

 line which separates the leaf from the stem. In reality, the 

 eye is a lateral branch with undeveloped internodes, the 

 whole tuber being generally a much-branched stem and not 

 a simple shoot. The central bud in the "eye" is commonly 

 the largest and strongest. 



Fitch has noted that the "eye-brow" differs noticeabl^r in 

 vigorous and in degenerate tubers. In the latter, ittis 

 stronger and has a tendency to be longer. 



Careful study shows that the buds or "eyes" are arranged 

 alternately and at the same time spirally on the tuber. Be- 

 ginning at one end of a tuber and proceeding toward the 

 other end, at the same time turning the tuber, usually enables 

 one to follow clearly the spiral arrangement. 



The so-called "seed end," "rose" end, or "crown" of the 

 tuber is opposite the point of attachment to the stem. 

 The "stem" end is at the "base" or heel of the tuber. 

 The eyes are more numerous and more vigorous at the 

 seed end. Ordinarily, the terminal bud (at the "seed 

 end") is the strongest and under proper conditions will be 



37 



