52 THE POTATO 



best, and the statement is made that the value of seed 

 depends more upon the care exercised in the sele<5tion 

 of the strain than the locality where it is grown. 

 Martinet', of France, reports that in several diversified 

 trials seed tubers from higher altitudes gave better 

 yields under all circumstances. 



Bailey', of Cornell, lodges a criticism against the 

 comparison of northern and southern grown seed. He 

 believes the variations to be due much more to the 

 stock itself — how the plants have been grown and 

 handled in previous 3'ears — than to any influence of 

 latitude. He believes it to be impossible to secure 

 stock from different growers which is sufl5ciently uni- 

 form to allow of comparative experimentation. That 

 such variation exists is shown by Brooks' ' obser\'ation 

 on Beauty of Hebron and Early Rose potatoes. Seed 

 potatoes of the same variety obtained from different 

 localities gave a variation in yield of about 50 per cent, 

 for each variety. Probably the matter is one of indi- 

 viduality. It is necessary to study each potato and 

 hill, and perpetuate a variety suited to the particular 

 environment. If this variety possesses the capacit;>' of 

 adapting itself rapidly to other environments it is more 

 useful, but it must be able to grow vigorously and 

 mature its tubers in order to maintain its value. The 

 Ohio Experiment Station* found that the selection and 

 storage of potatoes is of more importance than the use 

 of seed grown on other soil. Kansas Experiment Sta- 

 tion" found that tubers matured in Jul}' were the most 



» E. S. R., XII., p. 636. » (N. V.) Cornell Bui. 15, p. 175. 



' Mass. (Hatch) Report 1899, P- S2 * Ohio Bui. 76, p. 46. 



" Kans. Bui. 37, pp. 155, 136. 



