UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



^r.^,.. BULLETIN No. 784 „,, 



■Slt^^'^.^"^ Contribntion from the States Relations Service "^zL 



J^^^^^U A. C. TRUE, Director ^■W^f^'^^JT* 



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Washington, D. C. 



PROFESSIONAL PAPER. 



June 10, 1919 



LESSONS ON POTATOES FOR ELEMENTARY 

 RURAL SCHOOLS. 



By AxviN Dct.t.f., Assistant in Agricultural Education. 



CONTENTS. 



. Introduction 

 Lesson I 



II __ 



III _ 

 IV__ 

 V__ 

 VI__ 



Page. 

 1 

 4 

 

 7 

 9 

 10 



Lesson VII_. 

 TIIL 

 IX__ 

 X __. 

 XI___ 

 XII__ 

 12 ' Supplement 



Page. 

 13 

 15 

 16 

 18 

 19 

 21 

 23 



INTRODUCTION. 



Importance. — The potato is one of the most widely cultivated of 

 the agricultural plants, and, next to Indian corn, it is the most im- 

 portant contribution of America to the food supply of the world. 

 Probably no crop except rice is eaten by a greater number of people. 

 In the more thickly populated regions of Northern Europe, the potato 

 is now the most important of human foods, furnishing about 25 per 

 cent of the food of the continental and English peoples. Only the 

 Oriental peoples exist without it. Not only are the tubers used for 

 food, but they have important industrial uses. The plant is allied 

 botanically to several powerful narcotics, such as tobacco, henbane, 

 and belladonna, and also the tomato, eggplant, and pepper. 



As our American population increases, the potato will become more 

 and more important in this country, there being no other crop which 

 will give such a large yield of food suitable for man, under such vary- 

 ing conditions. 



Educational value. — The importance of the potato crop as briefly 

 indicated above and the fact that it can be grown successfully in 

 every State in the Union, should give it a place in courses in general 



105900°— Bull. 784—19 1 



