1901 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
123 
THE INDIVIDUALITY OF PLANTS. 
The season of Spring planting is approaching; seeds 
and plants for the year’s work must soon be obtained. 
Whence shall they come, and what shall they be? To 
select varieties possessing the characteristics which 
we seek, and which are adapted to our own condi¬ 
tions, is important. Something more is important. 
All plants of a variety are not alike. In vegetables 
and grains, which reproduce themselves from seed, 
there is constant intermingling of plant with plant, 
tending to induce variation in the offspring. With 
fruit plants, propagated by the bud in some form, it 
would seem that this tendency should not hold. If 
every plant of a given variety is in one sense a part 
of the parent seedling, separated from that parent, 
why should it not maintain all the characteristics of 
the parent? Observation shows that it does not do 
so. Plant substance is not unchangeable; it responds 
in greater or less degree to varying conditions of en¬ 
vironment. The plant subjected to a dry climate must 
adapt itself to that climate or perish. Propagation 
from that plant cari’ies with it something of the ac¬ 
quired characteristics. Scions from a tree growing in 
a soil so heavy and rich as to induce unfruitfulness 
may transmit something of that characteristic to a 
tree grown under better conditions. Heredity and 
variation, or the attempt of the plant to adapt itself 
to conditions, are thus two factors which may work 
in opposition. Improved conditions may improve in¬ 
ferior plants. Heredity will tend to prevent that im¬ 
provement. Unite the two factors by selecting plants 
from a parent possessing the desired qualities and 
giving it better conditions and progress should be 
rapid, since the two forces act in unison instead of in 
opposition. 
On the grounds of the Rhode island Experiment 
Station, in the Summer of 1900, five plants of Kansas 
raspberry were selected as the fruit began to ripen. 
I'he plants chosen were the five most desirable ones 
in the field, so far as the eye could determine. A 
record of the fruit obtained from these plants was 
kept. One plant yielded 648 grams of fruit and an¬ 
other yielded 1,130 grams. On the plant which gave 
the lowest yield the fruit averaged 1.13 grams in 
weight; on the other plant it averaged 1.33, on a third, 
yielding 1,117 grams, the average weight was 1.43 
grams. If such variations appear between plants 
chosen as the best it is evident that there must be 
much greater differences between the best and the 
poorest plants in the field. This difference may not 
all be due to the individuality of the plant, but much 
of it must be. Certain it is that everyone would 
rather have plants produced from the one which bore 
the higher yield of larger fruit than from the one 
which bore the lower yield of smaller fruit. 
Reports of strawberry plants kept in 1899 showed 
equally marked variations. To illustrate, one plant 
of McKinley produced 239 grams, another 661, more 
than 2^4 times as much. One plant of Glen Mary pro¬ 
duced 286 grams, another 756, again more than 2^ 
times as much. One plant of Crescent produced 121 
grams, another 601, nearly five times as much. Re¬ 
cent studies of the wilt disease of cotton, made in the 
South, show remarkable results in securing plants re¬ 
sistant to the disease by selecting seed from parents 
which resisted. Similar attempts to secure potato 
plants resistant to blight, made in Rhode Island, have 
shown less remarkable but decided results. The les¬ 
son from all this is obvious. To secure the best re¬ 
sults the offspring of the best individuals should be 
planted. The poultryman or stock-breeder knows 
that breed in itself means little; he must know the 
pedigree and characteristics of the animal within that 
breed. Should the plant-grower do less? 
FRED W. CARD, 
ABOUT THE NEW STRAWBERRY CULTURE 
Mr. Farmer’s plan of “trenching in’’ his strawberry 
plants I fear might not answer if the early Summer 
happened to be very dry. I should not like to post¬ 
pone setting for two or three weeks, even if my plants 
had a nice bunch of new roots, and after last year’s 
experience I do not feel sure of these new roots start¬ 
ing out. After setting my piece I put out a number 
of hundreds in just the manner described by Mr. Far¬ 
mer, expecting to use them for filling in after the 
White grub had dined. They were in fairly moist 
land, and stood up well, but when I examined the 
roots I was surprised, for there was little or no new 
growth. This was later in the season than Mr. Far¬ 
mer would have kept them for setting out, being per¬ 
haps July 1 to July 10. I considered them worthless, 
and left them where they were the entire season. None 
died, and quite a number of runners were sent out, 
but, of course, nothing was expected in their crowded 
condition. I should have thought myself unfortunate 
indeed if I had been obliged to use such plants. I am 
quite sure air did not get among the roots, as the soil 
was pressed hard. I neglected to state that they were 
set out about May 23, which is a week or 10 days later 
than we usually finish setting. This may be of some 
importance, though I considered them at the time ex¬ 
cellent plants. j. w. B. 
Massachusetts. 
DieeiNB AND PITTING POTATOES. 
The farmer who has several acres of potatoes to 
dig late in the Fall is often confronted with a scar¬ 
city of help. Sometimes an early freeze ruins a por¬ 
tion of the crop. Many potato growers plant late 
varieties about the first week in June. This allows 
the small tops to take on new growth after the Fall 
rains, and the tubers generally are larger, and of a 
HERMAPHRODITE WHITE WYANDOTTE. FlG. 19. 
See Page 133. 
better quality. In this section late planting of late 
varieties usually insures a much larger yield. With 
good loamy soil, fairly fertile, and having good ma¬ 
chinery to handle the business, potato growing is no 
more intricate or laborious than corn culture. Al¬ 
though some of our soil is a heavy clay loam, we have 
grown a good crop of potatoes on our farm each sea¬ 
son for several years. Years ago we put in but a 
small patch each season for family use. But little 
attention was paid to keeping out all the weeds, and 
frequently the bugs would get the start of us. In fact, 
we used to secure three crops from one planting of 
seed potatoes—more potatoes, weeds and bugs. From 
several years’ actual experience we find that the late 
varieties pay best on our farm, but as we dig late in 
the season it precludes the possibility of seeding the 
patch to wheat; and we doubt whether it would pay 
to sow rye, as the growth during the following Spring 
would be too small for plowing under for corn. Of 
course we do not plant potatoes on the same patch 
two seasons in succession. 
When ready to dig last October, we arranged to ex¬ 
pedite matters as much as possible. We used four 
horses abreast on the digger, and another team on 
the truck to distribute the empty crates to the pickers, 
and haul the crates of potatoes to the pits. We would 
not try to do without the bushel crates. We have a 
good supply added to from time to time, and use them 
for handling both corn and potatoes. The empty 
crates are distributed to the pickers from the truck 
in such a way that each picker finds one almost at his 
elbow when wanted. Each crate, when full, is left 
right where it stands; thus the pickers have little lift¬ 
ing to do while picking up. Two men load the truck 
HARVESTING AND PITTING POTATOES. Fig. 50. 
from each side as the team is driven through, and no 
full crate is carried more than a few feet before de¬ 
positing on the truck platform. We put our potatoes 
in pits, made in the field. Our plan is to sell the crop 
late in the Fall to customers in our city. However, 
we pit the potatoes as though they were to ue buried 
all Winter. The picture. Fig. 50, shows one pit filled 
and ready to cover with straw and earth. A good 
layer of straw, and about four inches of earth are put 
on each pit as soon as filled. No chances are taken by 
leaving the potatoes exposed, even a single night. 
In order easily to keep a record of the number of 
bushels dug, we empty just 50 crates in each pit. We 
are particular about digging the pits, making a conical 
pile of the potatoes and properly covering them. Ar¬ 
rangements are made for ventilation in the top, and 
a flat board prevents water from running in during a 
storm. The gi’ound about the pits must also allow 
good surface drainage. Fig. 50 shows just how we 
manage it. One team and two men, with the low- 
down platform truck and bushel crates, can store 
away potatoes as fast as the four-horse digger and 10 
men can dig and pick up the potatoes. At such a time 
we work with a rush, and each man must do his full 
share so long as the job lasts. We enjoy such work. 
I drove the four-horse team, and dug the potatoes as 
fast as the team could walk. A dozen men could not 
keep up with the digger when everything worked 
smoothly. We have grown Carman No. 3 and R. N.- 
Y. No. 2 almost exclusively for several years. For 
the last three seasons we have sold our potatoes to 
private customers in Battle Creek, delivering in lots 
of five bushels or more, right at the customers’ doors 
during a certain week, just before Winter sets in. 
Customers like to get their potatoes when they are 
laying in their regular Winter supplies for cold stor¬ 
age in the cellars. We believe in advertising, and, 
the week before we are ready to deliver we insert a 
small advertisement in one or two of the leading 
daily papers. We give variety and quality of the po¬ 
tatoes, guaranteed free from scab, and state the price 
and time of delivery at customers’ doors. No single 
order is filled for less than five bushels. We could 
have disposed of twice our last season’s crop here in 
the city at a good price. Orders for nearly 400 bushels 
were telephoned in the first two days. 
Michigan. j. h. brown. 
R. N.-Y.—The only excuse we have for printing an 
article on digging potatoes at this time is to show 
farmers how these pits are made. Now, while many 
potatoes are rotting or sprouting in warm cellars it is 
well to know how others manage. The best time to 
print an ice-house argument is in July. 
PROF /. P. ROBERTS AND THE SILO. 
His Private Opinion Publicly Expressed. 
Prof. Roberts is quoted as saying that if he did not 
have a silo he would not build one. I wish to know 
whether this is true, and if it is, w'hat is the reason for 
the statements? What he would do without a silo? 
Pair Haven, N. Y. p. s. n. 
The recent statement by Prof. Roberts at a New York 
dairy meeting that having no silos one would raise silage 
corn, cut and wet it as fed, is what I want explained. 
Why does he recommend it? What facts has he in sup¬ 
port of it? Our own practice is two cartlo ads cut corn 
stover, one cartload silage corn. Wet dry fodder with 
15 to 18 gallons of water, then add silage and let stand 
about six hours or more. We do this on account of 
having only one silo, and many cow's. The above quantity 
is for one day. I object to the time and cost of wetting. 
Burton City, O. A. H. 
At the recent meeting of the New York State Dairy¬ 
men’s Association, held at Watertown, I did say that 
it I were going into the dairy business personally I 
would not build a silo. The chairman of the asso¬ 
ciation cut off the discussion almost immediately, and 
I was not allowed to explain this statement. It seems 
to have created quite an interest. As to the variety 
of corn to be used that was not correctly reported. 
Yes, I believe in the silo most thoroughly, but what 
I had in mind, but did not have an opportunity to 
express, was something like the following: I would 
run a dairy so that the products of it would not come 
into the fierce competition which now prevails in the 
sale of ordinary dairy goods. I suppose that with but 
few exceptions the milk of the State of New York 
does not average one cent per pound to the producer 
and to start an individual dairy in competition with 
milk at this price would, in my opinion, not be as 
wise, or as pleasant or as profitable as to produce 
dairy goods that, either in the form of milk, cream, 
butter or cheese, would not come into competition to 
any great extent with the great mass of dairy products 
put upon the market. I might say also that I have 
my particular private likings for a certain kind of 
cow, but if I should express my private opinion pub¬ 
licly I presume all the bulls of Bashan would be after 
me. If I were to go into the dairy business 1 would 
try to reach out for better quality, greater skill in 
marketing, and thus aim to escape the fierce competi¬ 
tion. To do this I would cater to the wants and even 
the prejudices of those persons who have plenty of 
money and are willing to part with it if their special 
notions can be gratified. I would make the dairy 
stable as nice as are those of the Walker-Gordon 
Laboratory Company. I would have cows that give 
rich milk, or I would separate a part of the milk and 
fortify the other part so that the milk would contain 
anywhere from six to 10 per cent of butter fats. Those 
who are able to pay for fortified or rich milk do not 
care to buy three-per-cent milk. At least this is my 
experience. I would have the herd examined frequent¬ 
ly, and I would display prominently a bill of health of 
the herd signed by some well-known veterinarian. I 
would have physicians visit my dairy. In brief, I 
would not feed silage because milk might be produced 
which would not reach the highest standard. I 
would aim to keep the air in the stable as pure and 
as free from taints of every kind as possible. I would 
do all these things because it would be more pleasant 
and I believe more profitable, to produce the highest 
possible class of goods, and seek the customers who 
have the disposition and money to pay a high price 
for them. If I were so situated that I could not reach 
this higher market and had to go on in competition 
with the million, then I would conduct a dairy on 
quite a different plan. i. p. Roberts. 
