BREEDING 



BREEDING. 



CHAPTER I. 



F all interesting studies of plant life, the prob- 

 lems confronting the potato breeder, also the na- 

 ture of the plant, are the most interesting to me. 

 There are numerous difficulties in potato breed- 

 ing. He who would succeed must discover for himself 

 these obstacles and overcome them. 



I have studied the nature of the potato, have experi- 

 mented, have propagated many kinds, and have grown the 

 potato extensively for about twenty-three years, and every 

 day there are different problems confronting me, most of 

 which I have solved, yet there is deep study ahead and 

 much to be learned. I have grown potatoes from cuttings, 

 and from such cuttings have grown four crops in one year, 

 each cutting being taken from the vine that had been 

 grown from a cutting. The first cutting was taken from a 

 seedling, which would make four crops without using a 

 tuber for seed. I have learned how to grow potatoes on 

 top of the vine, and many more interesting experiments, 

 and find there are always new ideas presenting themselves. 

 Some of the problems confronting the potato breeder 

 are: In some cases it is impossible to cross one desirable 

 potato with another which has otherwise good characteris- 



