ipod?.] IMPROVEMENT OF THE POTATO. 387 



It is a common idea that the potato does not set fruit as freely 

 now as formerly, and the explanation has been given that the pro- 

 duction of large quantities of tubers has led to the degeneration of 

 the seeding power. It is true that many of our finest varieties 

 bloom seldom and rarely set seed, yet this does not seem to be a cor- 

 relation with yielding power, for some of our best varieties bloom 

 freely, and under proper conditions, set seed. 



Fraser (37) has shown this variation in blooming to have been 

 natural nearly two hundred years ago. He says : 



"Mark Catesby, who was in this country in 1722-1726, wrote that 'in Vir- 

 ginia and to the north thereof, they (potatoes) are annuals, and produce no 

 flowers, while in Carolina and the Bahama Islands, they produce flowers. Many 

 varieties existed at that time particularly in Virginia, and five kinds were com- 

 mon: the Common, Bermudas, Brimstone, Carrot and Claret potatoes. The 

 Bermuda potato was the only one that had a white flower, the flowers of all 

 the other kinds being purple. This was the only variety that had a white skin 

 and was white fleshed. It was round in shape, more tender, and more delicate 

 to raise than the others, and did not keep so well." 



In Connecticut, many excellent varieties do not seed and cannot 

 be used as stock to breed from, but varieties representing all of our 

 favored commercial variations in shape and color, can be obtained 

 which produce seed. In other climates, notably Maine, Minnesota 

 and Wisconsin many of the non-seeding varieties of Connecticut 

 produce pollen and seed comparatively freely. This makes it pos- 

 sible to obtain hybrid seed from varieties where the female parent 

 at least is acclimated and adapted to these soils, for the female or- 

 gans appear to be always perfectly normal. 



The tuber of the potato is a swollen, underground stem, with 

 its eyes equivalent to the leaf buds of an aerial stem, and which are 

 arranged more or less spirally in each case. The main underground 

 stem of the plant varies in length with the depth of planting. At 

 intervals on this underground stem, stolons are sent out, at the ex- 

 tremities of which are found the tubers. Varieties differ greatly in 

 the length of these stems and the manner in which the tubers are 

 formed. A variety to be of commercial value should have very 

 short stolons and bear only one tuber at the end. There should be 

 no branches from the bud end of the tuber, as is sometimes the case. 



The physiology of tuber formations is discussed at length by 

 Vochting (101). 



VARIETIES OF TODAY 



At present, there are in the United States over one thousand 

 named varieties. This large list contains many names that repre- 



