SELECTION AND CARE OF THE SEED POTATO 39 



plant the best. The best strains always produce the best in 

 plant life as well as in animal life. 



To the growers of California, I cannot too strongly em- 

 phasize the necessity of pure, vigorous seed. They are 

 largely exempt from disease ; and if the soil is infected with 

 disease, fertilise and plant to different crops that do not 

 breed these diseases until the soil is rid of it. When pota- 

 toes are grown again, be careful to select only the best of 

 seed, and, with the care of the crop I advocate, the yields 

 will be wonderfully increased. 



In handling the crop the tubers should not be moved 

 too often; however, they should not be left in piles on the 

 field to sprout and lose their strength. 



Potatoes for seed should always be "greened" when 

 using early spring seed for fall planting. Greening is to 

 cause them to sprout under certain conditions before plant- 

 ing. In other words, they are put into proper shape to grow. 



The seed produced from the April planting for planting 

 in April of the following year becomes a little old before the 

 time to plant, and it is a difficult problem to stay their 

 growth and preserve their strength. They are stored in a 

 cool place until the cold weather in the fall appears. Then 

 they are put into a dry place before the rainy season comes, 

 and when the first sprouts begin to show they are put out to 

 green and are left in that condition until planting time. The 

 sprouts are generally from one-half to one inch long at this 

 time, and are always planted with these sprouts on. The 

 sprouts become tough, and are hard to remove. This seed, 

 when properly handled, always insures a crop about two 

 weeks earlier. 



The importance of greening is twofold : 



1st. If allowed to grow or sprout too readily before 

 planting, too much strength is taken from the potato, caus- 



