THE POTATO. 
E. S. GOFF. 
SELECTION OF SEED. 
The indications based on two seasons 1 ex¬ 
periments are decidedly in favor of selecting 
seed tubers from the most productive hills. 
For the past two seasons, we have selected 
the best and the poorest hills from a row of ten 
different varieties. In the Spring we have 
planted four short rows of each of the ten 
varieties', putting in the first the single eye 
cuttings of the largest tuber from the most 
productive bill; in the second, those of the 
smallest tuber of the same; in the third those 
of the largest tuber of the least productive 
hill; aud in the fourth those of the smallest 
tuber from the some. The yield, calculated per 
eye, shows the largest tuber from the most pro¬ 
ductive hill yielded most; the smallest tuber 
from the same yielded second; the largest 
tuber from the least productive hill yielded 
third, and the smallest from the same yielded 
least, ft will be observed that in these cases 
the yield is not in proportion to the size of 
the cuttings, as the cuttings, in the second row, 
were decidedly smaller than those in third, and 
were little, if any, larger than those in the 
fourth. 
This theory of the selection of seed has, I be¬ 
lieve, been combated by some writers whose 
opinions are worthy of respect. These gen¬ 
tlemen take the ground that improvement 
by selection is impossible in plants propagated 
by cuttings. I think it has not been proved 
that vigor may not be increased by continued 
selection of cuttings from the most vigorous 
plants. But argument is unnecessary. The 
results of continued experiments in this direc¬ 
tion will lie worth far more than opinions. 
We have tiled the past season selecting po¬ 
tatoes iu this maimer ou a rather large scale, 
aud find it not very expensive. The workmen 
were instructed to separate the yield of each 
hill, aud as the tubers lay drying a man passed 
over the rows with a basket and picked up 
every strikingly productive hill, I do not see. 
however, how this method could be practiced 
where potatoes are dug by machinery. 
whole versus ccrr tubers for seed. 
little benefit when applied before the first 
brood of larvae hatches. It was found that 
this poison, mixed with plaster, at the rate of 
one part to 100, killed about 50 per cent, of the 
beetles. For the larvae, one part of Paris- 
green thoroughly mixed with 150 parts, by 
weight, of laud plaster, dusted over the foli¬ 
age, has proved entirely efficacious. 
Geneva, N. Y., Exp. Station. 
RED STREAK IN THE LATE ROSE 
POTATO. 
DR. W. J. BEAL. 
A prominent man of Grand Rapids, Mich., 
asks, “To what extent does the ‘red streak' 
exist in your locality, aud what is the loss in¬ 
cident to such defect? Is the seed running 
the streak extends to the surface. This mar¬ 
ginal line of red is along what would be the 
outside of the pith of the potato—for a potato 
is a real stem and has a part representing pith, 
another faintly representing the wood, and 
one the bark, including a corky layer outside. 
Potatoes are more or less decayed this year 
The last of Summer and Autumn was wet and 
cold. 
On magnifyingathin slice of a “red streak.” 
500 diameters, we find that some of the cells 
contain granular particles of a reddish-brown 
color. These contain less starch than some 
of the others, and some of the starch grains 
ore more or less decomposed. Bacteria were also 
seen in large numbers, indicating incipient de¬ 
cay in several specimens examined, although to 
the unaided eye there was no sign of rotting. 
RAND’S DICTATOR POTATO. From Nature. Fig. 22. 
The results of numerous expo laments iu this 
direction may be summed up briefly: as a rule, 
the more potato we have planted the larger 
has been the yield. Large tubers have yielded 
more than small ones. Large cuttings have 
yielded more than single eyes. When it is 
remembered that usually but a single eye de¬ 
velops, it appeal’s that practically the chief 
difference between whole and cut tubers is in the 
amount of potato used. The question as to how 
small the cuttings may be safely made, appeal’s 
to depend upon circumstances that the potato 
grower caunot foresee. Iu 1883, when abund¬ 
ant rains fell during the month after planting, 
small sections containing the terminal cluster 
of eyes, gave yields fully equal to those of 
decidedly larger single-oye sections from 
other portions of the tuber. In 1885, however, 
when the planting was followed by a month 
of comparative drought, the result was quite 
different. The small, terminal sections yielded 
decidedly less tliau the other larger ones. 
The precise office of the tuber or section 
planted, beyond furnishing the bud and aiding 
this to start in its development, is uot clear. 
Froman experiment carried on in the green¬ 
house, it was shown that the plant is capable 
of consuming nearly or quite the whole sub¬ 
stance of the seed tuber, aud that this con¬ 
sumption continued until the tops commenced 
to die. From another experiment in the gar¬ 
den the indications were that the plants re¬ 
ceived no benefit from the seed after they had 
grown to the hight of four to six inches. 
HOW TO AVOID THE POTATO ROT. 
The past season our varieties of potatoes 
rotted in relation to their lateness of matur¬ 
ing. The early varieties, though none were 
entirely without decay, rotted decidedly less 
than the later ones, while the latest and 
most vigorous-growing varieties rotted most 
of all. Whether this is because the more vig¬ 
orous foliage of the later varieties is more 
favorable to the growth of the fungus, or lie- 
cause the fungus lias a longer time to act, 1 do 
uot know. The practical suggestion, however, 
is to plant potatoes early to avoid the rot. 
The disease seldom secures much foothold un¬ 
til late in Summer. 
The high-hilling system as preventive of 
rot, from which so much is hoped in England, 
has not, so far as I know, been tested in this 
country during seasons of rot. 
FIGHTING INSECT ENEMIES. 
Last seusou the potato beetles appeared in 
unusual ^numbers. To avoid injury to the 
youug plants,' we resorted to the primitive 
mode of luind-pickiug. We carried on this 
work thoroughly .and were little troubled from 
the larva?. Although this is an expensive 
method, it appears to be a very sure one. 
Many are of the opinion that Paris-green does 
ROSE'S PURPLE BLUSII POTATO. From Nature. Fig, 23 
O' 
out ? If not, what in your opinion is the 
cause?” 
I have made some inquiry and studied the 
subject somewhat, aud find the “red streak” 
pervades the Late Rose in this part of the 
State also, rendering them unsalable. When 
boiled, they crack open before done, and come 
to pieces a good deal ; but tne streaks still 
What is the matter? The reply might be 
“The Rose-red has struck in.” The old Mercer 
or Neshannock had faint purple streaks inside. 
The old Merino had red streaks more or less 
apparent, especially toward the last, of its 
career. I have just been looking over some 
small, wild potatoes from Colorado, (Solanum 
Jamcsii), and find a sharp purple streak inside 
CARMAN POTATO. From Nature. Fig. 24. 
show and other places look yellow and soggy. the skin. The inside or main bulk of tke'tu- 
The taste is not bad. On splitting a fresh . her is white. The corky layer is very thick, 
tuber, not far from the margin, iu an irregu- I In time this tuber might become larger, whiter 
lar line, is the outline or outside of a reddish | and good to eat, aud after a while the purple 
streak. Inside of this, throughout some tu- j might “strike in” and the potato go out of use. 
bers, we find more of less red. At the eyes, I This has been a bad year in Michigan for 
potatoes, and they show their faults, which 
have been increasing by bad treatment, for 
some years. 
Some years ago I tested over 350 sorts of 
potatoes for several years, and witb our 
treatment, which was about as good as the 
average, many of them dwindled and became 
worthless, some failing entirely to produce a 
single tuber. Most likely, with plenty of 
potash and vegetable mold on the Rural Farm, 
you might hold them up to the standard, or 
even improve them. I should say this Late 
Rose was on the decline, and must be re¬ 
placed by others. If some one has some good, 
nice edible tubers—and no others are fit to 
plant—he may yet raise the Late Rose, but 
its day must come sooner or later. 
Ag'l. Col., Lansing, Mich. 
VALUE OF POTATOES AS STOCK FOOD 
PROF. E. W. STEWART, 
The potato has long bee twed as a food for 
our domestic animals, and ■ ; i iaLlr in years 
of great crops, when their i * as imnwi od 
furnishes but a partial marke Eus. li-;L farm¬ 
ers have used them as food for vn . caan mals. 
They are relished by heaves, car and sheep 
in the raw state; but it is not sue to feed 
them in this way, except in ver- mited 
quantity. In the raw state, they are " well 
digested, and produce a laxative condi ion of 
the bowels, and for this reason a f p n.rts 
are beneficial to the horse medicin. 1 nd 
the same for working oxen and cows : ‘ if 
fed in as large a quantity as one-half i iel 
per day to milch cows, the quantity and qual¬ 
ity of the milk will be reduced. 
To the pig, they are not nutritious in the 
raw condition, and are not relished except two 
or three at a time. But when boiled or 
steamed, the pig eats them greedily and thrives 
upon them. 
Curwen, in 1801, was the first to test the 
value of potatoes far English work horses by 
stea m ing them, and to show the extent to 
which he used them, he fed 420 short tons in a 
season. He used them in lieu of hay, and at 
first fed the steamed potatoes alone bur he 
found the horses had trouble in m?-i a ting 
them—probably they adhered to the jaws in 
their soft, sticky condition. He then mixed in 
a small proportion of cut straw, and js re¬ 
moved the difficulty and promote. • digestion. 
It gave bulk and porousness to the : >od the 
stomach. He found, in fact, that seven 
pounds of cut straw were necessary to prevent 
flatulent colic. His daily ration was 21 
pounds steamed potatoes, seven pounds of 
straw and eight pounds of oats; and this fur¬ 
nished a full, healthy ration for heavy farm 
horses. He rated potatoes as worth 89.60 
per gross ton, which is equal to 25.8 cents per 
bushel, as food for farm horses. This is some¬ 
what higher than they are rated here as food 
for stock. 
Diseased potatoes are sometimes fed to 
stock, and when the disease has not affected 
more than the skin, this may safely be done 
with the proper treatment. If the potatoes 
are well washed and thoroughly cooked or 
steamed, the disease is arrested, and the germs 
are killed. If these cooked tubers are now 
placed in an air-tight cistern or silo, and com¬ 
pressed into a solid mass, and covered so as to 
exclude the air, the food will keep unchanged 
for months. . In this way, the feeding value of 
potatoes might be saved on a large scale, 
when the disease proceeds slowly, but often it 
has gone too far before the tubers can be dug. 
There never has been any doubt expressed 
by those who have experimented in feeding 
potatoes, as to the benefit of cooking them, 
or of the necessity of cooking them for pigs. 
And there is a point here worthy of considera¬ 
tion. Why should the cooking of the potato 
be more beneficial than the cooking of turnips, 
beets, carrots, etc? Or why should it be 
deemed essential with the potato, and not with 
these other roots? Is it because of the much 
larger percentage of starch in the potato? I 
think this the probable reason. Starch, as is 
well known, will not dissolve in cold water, 
and it is found that it does not fully dissolve 
without heating to 162 degrees or higher. 
When It dissolves it doubles in bulk. This 
renders it less dense or concentrated, and 
therefore more easily acted upon bv the digest¬ 
ing fluid. This may explain why horses easily 
digest potatoes after they have been cooked, 
but uot before. 
In this view, we may suppose that the ex¬ 
periment of Dr. Sturtevant at the New York 
Experiment Station may be quite reliable, 
and yet not deckle the question as to the 
value of cooking food for stock. His experi¬ 
ment related only to the albuminoid matter, 
leaving mtcousidered the much larger class of 
non-albuminoid elements of food. There may 
be a small loss in the albuminoid elements, and 
a much larger gain in carbohydrates or heat 
and fat-producing e lements, When it is preved 
