1418 



POTATO 



POTATO 



gravy, and oaten meal. The composition of the Potato 



varies widely. An average of 13G analyses is as follows: 



Water. Ash. Protein. Starch. Fat. 



?{ ^ 56 ^ ^ 



Potatoes 78 1 2.2 18 .1 



Oatmeal 7.9 2 14.7 07.4 7.1 



Graham tioiir 13.1 1.8 11.7 69.8 1.7 



The nutritive ratio of wheat is 1 to 5.37, almost per- 

 fect; that of Potatoes 1 to 18.29, entirely too wide. Many 

 foods, in their natural state, as Potatoes, are more or 

 less deficient in mineral matter. Notable among these 

 are rice and wheaten flour— the former containing but 

 0.4 per cent and the latter 0.5 per cent of ash. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the Potato alone forms 

 an unbalanced ration, it is used more universally as a 

 food than any other esculent vegetable in localities 

 adapted to its growth. Potatoes contain a small amount 

 of a somewhat poisonous substance. When exposed to 

 the direct rays of the sun for some time and "greened," 

 the deleterious substance is so greatly increased that 

 the water in which they are boiled is not infrequently 

 used to destroy vermin on domestic animals. In any 

 case the water in which Potatoes are cooked should not 

 be used in the preparation of other foods. 



There are many hundred varieties of Potatoes. New 

 varieties are constantly supplanting the old ones. As 

 new varieties are usually produced under superior con- 

 ditions, when they are placed in field culture anil under 

 more difficult conditions they tend to degenerate. Old 

 varieties which have "run out" often find their way into 

 a locality where conditions are superior. Here their 

 valuable qualities may be restored or even intu-eased, 

 and they are then generally reintroduced under a new 

 name (see Bailey, "Survival of the Unlike," for discus- 

 sion of the running out of Potatoes). Usually new 

 varieties are secured from seeds, but the seeds of a 

 single ball cannot be depended upon to propagate the 

 parent type. The tubers of the mo^^t promising seed- 

 ling varieties are planted, placed under superior condi- 

 tions, and out of many hundred varieties tested, a 

 single one may Iprove to be worthy of introduction. 

 The world owes much to Rev. Chauncey E. Goodrich, of 

 Utica, N. Y., for his painstaking efforts not only to im- 

 prove the Potato, but also for originating and introduc- 

 ing several valuable varieties. The acquired habit o^ 

 producing enlarged underground stems has been so 

 greatly accentuated that the normal tendency to pro- 

 duce seed-balls has been nearly obliterated, especially 

 in the early varieties. The Potato is sensitive to frost 

 and therefore must complete its growth in most locali- 

 ties in from three to six months. The period of devel- 

 opment may be shortened by exposing the seed Pota- 

 toes to the more or less direct rays of the sun in a tem- 

 perature of about 60° for one to two weeks before 



1929. Underground parts of Potato plant. 



Showing the fibrous roots and the stem.^ ending in tubers. 



The old seed-piece is seen near the bottom. 



planting. Some of the starch is transformed into sugar, 

 ■which causes the eyes or buds to develop into minia- 

 ture, short, tough plants or "rosettes," which results, 

 •wh(;n the Potatoes are planted, in hastening growth and 

 shortening the period between planting an(l harvesting. 

 Some varieties, when thus treated and planted in warm, 

 rich, sandy soil, produce merchantable tubers in six 



weeks. In cutting Potatoes for planting, each eye shou.a 

 be supplied with an abundance of food to start the 

 young plants off vigorously: the pieces should be as 

 large as possible and yet not bear more than one or two 

 eyes (Fig. 1931). While the late varieties thrive best 

 in a moist, cloudy climate and in a rich, loamy soil. 

 Potatoes may be successfully produced in light soils 



1930. Flowers and foliage of Potato (X K)- 



and under cloudless skies. Dryish, sandy or sandy 

 loam soils not only produce earlier Potatoes than cold, 

 damp lands, but tubers of a better quality. "Mealy" 

 Potatoes contain less moisture than do those which 

 remain somewhat hard when cooked. Americans prefer 

 the former; most Europeans the latter. 



For market-gardening, varieties such as Early Rose 

 are planted 2 to 3 inches deep in dry, warm soils, as 

 soon as danger from frost has passed. Level tillage is 

 practiced until the vines are nearly full grown, when 

 the rows are slightly hilled by passing an implement, 

 provided with a single large shovel with or without 

 wing-attachments, between the rows. A threefold ef- 

 fect is secured : weeds are destroyed ; the land is 

 raised into ridges, whereby the soil is made warmer and 

 drier, thus inducing early fruitage ; the young Pota- 

 toes are prevented from becoming green by exposure to 

 the sun. Most early varieties have a tendency to set 

 tubers near the surface. Sandy lands, which are well 

 suited to raising early Potatoes, are too frequently de- 

 ficient in plant-food, and resort is had to either barn 

 manure or chemical fertilizers. The former, especially 

 if not fully rotted, increases the tendency to produce 

 rough or scabby Potatoes, while the use of chemical 

 manures containing but a small pei-centage of nitrogen 

 tends to produce smooth tubers of a high quality. A 

 liberal dressing for an acre is 20 lbs. of ammonium sul- 

 fate, 80 lbs. of dried blood, 150 lbs. of 

 acid phosphate and 150 lbs. of muriate 

 of potash. These would furnish 17, 21 

 and 75 lbs., respectively, of the plant- 

 foods named. These concentrated fer- 

 tilizers should be thoroughly mixed 

 and incorporated with the soil by pass- 

 ing a sjnall single-shoveled plow along 

 the open marks made to receive the 1931. 



seed Potatoes. Market- gardeners A good cutting or 

 often use wood ashes at the rate of 50 seed-piece, 

 to 80 bushels per acre. 



Frequently a second crop follows the early Potatoes. 

 In any case a cover-crop (peas, clover or winter vetches) 

 should be sown after the Potatoes are dug if no second 

 harvest crop follows; if it does follow, then a cover- 

 crop may be sown at or just before the last inter-cul- 

 ture is given. In any case, provide some kind of a 

 cover-crop to digest the plant-food, to afford humns 

 and conserve nitrogen for succeeding 'crops, and to 

 cover the land during tli(^ rainy and cold winter periods 

 when the soil 'would otherwise be idle and losing 

 fertility. 



Late Potatoes are planted three or four weeks after 



