62 POTATO CULTURE. 



CHAPTER IX. 

 Selection and Care of Seed. 



My usual practice has been to use for seed, only nice, 

 smooth, perfect-shaped, well-matured tubers, in size varying 

 from medium to large. Very large overgrown ones, and 

 those that have prongs on, or are otherwise ill shaped, are 

 carefully excluded. In short, I use for seed just such pota- 

 toes as I should like to have the crop all be in the fall. The 

 best time to select these is at digging time, when they are 

 first thrown out of the ground. I have even gone so far as 

 to follow the digger, and select the best potatoes from the 

 best hills hills perhaps where the yield would be double the 

 average of the piece. With this much care in the selection 

 of seed one need not be as much troubled about his seed 

 running out. It certainly will not run out as quickly. Some 

 good authorities think it would never deteriorate, as I have 

 told you. What farmer would think ot sowing his wheat- 

 screenings for seed, or planting the corn from the poorest 

 ears he could find? Not one. They select their best corn, 

 or, at least, a good average, and sow good wheat, or clean it 

 up and sow the best. Why not do as well by the potatoes ? 

 But how many there are who do not? The low average 

 yield of our potato crop, considerably less than 100 bushels 

 per acre, is a disgrace, and there are many causes for it ; but 

 perhaps no one cause is more certain than the selling and 

 eating of all the best and planting the culls, which are fit 

 only for pigs. But thousands do just this. With many 

 farmers, " seed potatoes " means small ones. I have had 

 them come here and ask if I had any, and write for them ; 

 but I think there are fewer and fewer each year planting 

 such " seed." I know the tubers are not the true seed, and 

 on this account it has been claimed that it makes no differ- 



