8 4 



THE POTATO 



plant of any sort of potato that yields berries, and 

 which was in culture twenty years ago, can now be 

 produced." So late as 1838 this idea was accepted by 

 the horticulturists of England. 1 It is interesting to 

 note that the average yield of potatoes in England a 

 hundred years ago is stated to vary between 185 and 

 300 bushels, and sometimes 440 bushels, per acre. 

 The average yield to-day is about 230 bushels, but 

 some growers produce 750 bushels per acre frequently. 

 The average improvement in the quality of the tubers 

 is greater than the average improvement in yield. 

 Formerly the potatoes were grown largely for stock, 

 and were of poor flavor and bad cooking quality. 



Some new varieties make vigorous growth, and, be- 

 coming bark-bound, the skin cracks. Such varieties 

 are regarded as of coarse and inferior quality, and lack- 

 ing in appearance. This character may be eliminated 

 by judicious selection. Deficiency in vigor is indi- 

 cated by the formation of misshapen tubers drawn 

 out at either end, the presence of second growth, weak 

 buds, lack of uniformity in texture as, hardness at 

 the ends of the tubers when cut, especially brittleness 

 of texture. Tubers showing any such characteristics 

 should not be planted. 



When potatoes are planted 15 inches apart in 36- 

 inch rows, there are 11,616 plants per acre. If each 

 plant had sufficient vigor to yield three tubers, each 

 weighing half a pound, or four weighing six ounces 

 each, a yield of 290 bushels of salable potatoes per 

 acre is assured. No one can afford to use seed of less 

 vigor than this. 



1 Don's "Gardeners' Dictionary," 1838, Vol. IV., pp. 400-406. 



