April, 1922. 



SCIENTIFIC AGRICULTURE. 



^51 



The above table shows that leaf roll and 

 mosaic diseases do exist in British Goliim- 

 bia, but apparently in veiy limited 

 amounts. The table also brin^i's out the 

 value of certified seed in compai-ison with 

 selected local seed ; disease and impurities 

 being much more ''prevalent in selected 

 local seed. The reason for this is be- 

 cause olcal seed was selected from the 

 tubers only and certified seed from the 

 grctwing crop and tubers. 

 The Value of Seed Potato Certification. 



The value of seed potato certification 

 may be summed up in the following- 

 points : — 



(1) Educational — The advice which 

 the grower receives from the inspector at 

 the time of making the various inspections, 

 whether in the field or after harvest, is of 

 great educational value. 



(2) Elimination of the Oriental — In 

 this Province over 60 per cent of the po- 

 tatoes are grown by Orientals. The 

 Oriental pays little attention to the kind 

 of seed he plants Avith the result that he 

 produces an inferior product. The market 

 of today requires a high quality product. 

 The farmer who uses good seed will be 

 in a position to supply that market. In 

 the production of certified seed the white 

 man will be in a class by himself. 



(3) The greater portion of the seed 

 on the market nowadays is impure and 

 often contains a large percentage of di- 

 sease. In fact, the public have great dif- 

 ficulty in purchasing reliable seed. The 

 introduction of certified seed potatoes will 

 tend to correct the present conditions. 



(4) The careful grower will receive 

 recognition for the extra trouble he has 



taken in i)r()ducing seed of high (piality 

 by being al)le to secure a x)remium for 

 such seed. 



(5) Districts which are not suitable for 

 producing seed of high quality, but able 

 to produce good commercial potatoes, will 

 have an opportunity of obtaining reliable 

 seed from time to time. 



(6) The use of certified seed should be 

 the means of improving the commercial 

 .stock throughout the province. Production 

 of good commercial stock will mean better 

 markets. 



(7) Seed potato certification will help 

 to bring about the standardization of 

 varieties, since certain varieties only will 

 be certified in each district taking up the 

 seed certification work. 



(8) Seed potato certification will be one 

 method of getting potato growers in the 

 same district working together. Co-oper- 

 ative effort is essential for best results in 

 every line of production. Several potato 

 growers organizations have been formed 

 as a result of the seed certification work 

 in this Province. 



(9) On account of the favourable con- 

 ditions existing in this Province for potato 

 growing it should be possible to build up 

 an export trade in seed potatoes. This 

 year enquiries for certified seed have been 

 received from the United States and prai- 

 rie province.si of Canada, but unfortunately 

 it has not been possible to meet the de- 

 mand. 



(10) Even if a potato grower does not 

 wish to specialize in the sale of certified 

 seed, the benefit to be derived through 

 an inspection of his fields in order to im- 

 prove the quality of his OAvn seed is suf- 

 ficient to make it well worth while. 



