The Irish Potato Crop 237 



On the other hand the late second crop potatoes in the 

 South that is dug late in the fall or early winter, keeps 

 without any sprouting, and when it grows it is with the 

 strong growth of the terminal bud, and with an undimin- 

 ished supply of food for the plant. It is hence found 

 that the growth of these potatoes is much stronger and 

 more robust and can stand untoward spring conditions 

 better than the plants from the northern seed. In fact, 

 it has been found that a spring frost that will cut to the 

 ground the shoots of the northern seed potatoes will but 

 slightly scorch the home-grown ones, owing to their stronger 

 development. Since these facts have been proven there 

 has been a great increase in the production of the second 

 crop, and now few growers ever plant the northern-grown 

 seed potatoes at all. 



Some years ago, when I, the writer, was Horticulturist 

 of the North CaroKna Agricultural Experiment Station, I 

 made arrangement for a co-operative test of seed potatoes 

 in connection with the Cornell, N. Y., and the Maine 

 stations. They were to send me some of their early seed 

 potatoes to plant, and from these I was to grow a second 

 late crop the same season and send to them for planting 

 the following year, while they were to send me more of the 

 same stock sent the previous year, to plant alongside of 

 my late crop from their seed of the year before. 



The experiment went as far as the second year. I 

 planted my seed and alongside planted more of their 

 northern seed. The difference was apparent as soon as 

 the tops developed. The northern potatoes made a bunch 

 of shoots, while mine made a sturdy single shoot from the 

 terminal bud and no others grew. The growth of mine 



