DEGENERATION OF POTATOS. 



465 



DEGENERATION OF POTATOS. 



By H. T. Gussow, Dominion Botanist, Dominion of Canada. 



The question of "degeneration " in potatos is one that has attracted 

 the attention of practical growers for a great number of years. From 

 the frequent discussions of the subject I consider it reasonable to 

 assume that a belief in the "degeneration of potatos " is almost an 

 article of the farmer's creed. Quite frequently poor crop yields, 

 susceptibility to disease, and other failure effects are excused as being 

 due to "degeneration," "running out," "lack of vigour," &c. ; these 

 latter phrases, be it noted, being merely circumlocutions for an idea 

 implied in the term " degeneration." 



Though this concept of the word is correctly deduced by the 

 practical grower, and even potato breeder, the usage of the term 

 itself appears to, and does actually, involve a fatal misconception of 

 the true inwardness of the term. Hereditary degeneration, i.e. a 

 decline in the progeny due to pre-existent weakness of the parents, is 

 well known, and many examples might be quoted from both the 

 animal and plant kingdoms. In this phrase we imply parentage, 

 and reflect upon the parents either male or female, or both. Let us 

 then use a term which I am not aware has hitherto been employed, 

 viz. chromosomatic degeneration, as opposed to somatic deterioration, 

 to which I shall presently refer. 



Chromosomatic degeneration, or degeneration pure and simple, 

 as we conceive it, is the manifestation of a certain failing or decline 

 transmitted from parents to offspring and perpetuated throughout 

 subsequent generations, or even handed down in intensified ratio to 

 them, until the stock becomes so markedly enfeebled that sterility or 

 death puts an end to the line. This effect is due to the transmission 

 of heritable degenerate characters by means of the chromosomes of 

 the parents. These chromosomes are the small bodies in the male 

 and female germ cells, which conjugate in sexual reproduction, and 

 they may be regarded as the " vehicles " of latent or dominant charac- 

 ters both of the male and of the female parents. One example may 

 suffice to interpret to the lay mind the bearing of this somewhat 

 technical exposition. Alcoholism, especially in both parents, will 

 invariably show up detrimentally in the children, and they, being 

 likewise so afflicted, will in turn give rise to mentally and physically 

 feeble progeny. The degenerative taint has been transmitted by 

 the chromosomes of the parents. 



Let us, therefore, clearly understand that degeneration is a term 

 which should properly be employed only where sexual reproduction 



