1906.] 



Potato Growing. 



21 



For the nialiire seed the same varieties were lifted at the 

 usual time, when the tops were quite dead and the skins of 

 the tubers tough. Two varieties, grown for the third time on the 

 farm without change of seed, showed an average advantage of 

 24 cwt. per acre in favour of immature seed, while three others, 

 grown for only the second time on the farm, gave practically no 

 advantage with immature seed. The stock from which the 

 varieties were grown was obtained from Scotland. 



Immature seed, however, can be better obtained by planting 

 a late patch of potatoes, say some time in June. The produce 

 from such will be mostly composed of" seed " and " small," and 

 seed obtained in this way seems to be well adapted for storing 

 even under the ordinary pie conditions. Immature seed, 

 obtained by the other method described, is not well suited for 

 storage in pies. 



Choke of Variety. — Success or failure in potato growing is 

 determined largely by the choice of variety. The seed may be 

 in first-class condition, the soil and manures also may be the 

 same for all, and yet one variety may yield tons less per acre 

 than another. In testing varieties of potatoes it is especially 

 important that the stock from which the seed for the test is 

 drawn should have been grown under the same soil and climatic 

 conditions. 



The value of a variety should not be gauged solely by its 

 cropping capacity. Cooking quality is a very important point, 

 _and although this is largely dependent on soil and season, 

 yet the results obtained on the medium loam soil at Garforth 

 will, it is believed, be found to agree in great measure with the 

 results obtained in other parts of the country. Further, disease- 

 resisting power is a most important consideration, and so also is 

 the natural tendency of the variety to form tubers the bulk of 

 which are big enough to be put upon the market as ware. 

 This, fortunately, can be controlled to a certain extent by using 

 cut sets. Then, again, choice of variety must be governed by 

 the demand of the market. There are many good coloured 

 varieties, but the demand for such in city markets is compara- 

 tively limited, and it certainly pays best to grow only those that 

 will meet a ready sale. Out of a large number of varieties 

 tested in Yorkshire and elsewhere during the past five years, 



