ON THE POTATO 



discovery came very near being rendered futile 

 by the accidental loss of the all-important seedball 

 after it had been revealed. 



I had first seen the seedball, growing on an 

 early rose potato vine, some time before it came 

 to maturity. My mind was at once impressed with 

 the idea that this might sometime be of value, 

 inasmuch as this potato had never been known to 

 bear seed. Moreover, I had for some time been on 

 the lookout for potatoes that would offer oppor- 

 tunities for development, as those that were grown 

 in the neighborhood at the time did not fully meet 

 my ideas as to what a potato should be in form, 

 size, color, production, and keeping qualities. 



This was as long ago as 1872, and it should be 

 understood that at that time the potato, as ordi- 

 narily grown, was a tuber much smaller in size 

 and less smooth and attractive in appearance than 

 the ones with which the present-day grower is 

 everywhere familiar. Moreover, the potatoes were 

 wont to suffer from what was called dry rot. 



Of course the average gardener accepts the 

 product of his vines and herbs somewhat as he 

 finds them, with no clear notion that they could be 

 made different from what they are. 



But I had been imbued from the outset with 

 the idea that inasmuch as existing plants had 

 evolved from inferior types, it should be possible 



[271] 



