CHAPTER VIII 

 THE POTATO 



THE common white, or Irish, potato is a native of South 

 America. It was brought to North America by the 

 early Spanish settlers. Potatoes are now so important an 

 article of food in almost every country that little more than 

 one-twentieth of the world's supply is grown in the United 

 States. 



1. The Potato Plant 



Secure, if possible, a complete potato plant, including 

 the roots and tubers. What is the shape of the stem ? The 

 nature of branching? The type of leaves? The flowers? 

 Do potatoes bear seed? Are potatoes raised from seed? 

 Why not plant potato seed instead of the tubers? Are 

 the tubers a part of the root system, or do the roots only 

 bear the tubers as the stems of tomatoes bear the fruit? 

 Compare a potato plant and a tomato plant. 



The plant. -The potato plant varies from one and 

 one-half to five feet in height, though it does not show 

 this great a height owing to its spreading habits of 

 growth. The terminal clusters of flowers bear seeds, 

 from which new varieties are often developed. For 

 practical purposes the plant is reproduced from the tu- 

 bers. 



Though both plant and roots die upon the ripening of 

 the seed and tubers, the potato is a perennial by means of 

 the tuber from which the plant is reproduced. Since the 

 tubers are destroyed by freezing, they should be harvested 



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