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—P- 
Growing Certified Seed 
How We Do It With Potatoes 
O UR farm is a By SEYMOUR BRIDGE mixture made up 
potato farm, lo- 1,200 pounds of 
cated on the top of one of the hills of acid phosphate, 400 pounds muriate, 
Steuben County, which is primarily a 200 pounds nitrate and 200 pounds 
ootato producing county. For the past sulphate of ammonia, 
several years we have grown certified The seed is planted 2 reet m the row 
seed potatoes and our experience with 
potato-growing in general is of many 
years’ standing. I would like to outline 
in the following paragraphs a few of the 
undamentals of certified seed growing. 
The Tuber Unit Seed Plot 
The adage “Like begets like” holds just . ,, . v ,7"' 
, . ^ * u The field is then cultivated and as the 
as true in the vegetable kingdom as it J 
and ,3 feet between rows. The field is 
rolled or planked ten days after planting, 
the method used depending on the 
weather. If the soil is dry, the field is 
rolled, if wet the plank is applied. This 
firms the seed bed, makes easier the 
movement of soil moisture and results 
in increased and more rapid growth. 
does with mammals. So the seed pro 
ducer must consistently work for seed 
improvement. Just how is this done? 
Let’s go back to 1921. We set out in a 
seed plot, a field separate from the regular 
plant is coming through the ground they 
are recovered. This is followed by a 
medium cultivation both ways and a 
generous hilling. The next cultivation 
is light and with the cultivator narrowed. 
seed plot, a The loose earth is worked up to the hills 
field planting, 2,200 hills of tuber units. . 
A tuber unit consists of four hills in 
each of which is planted a quarter of a 
single potato, planted crosswise of the 
field. Five hundred and fifty tubers 
were so planted in the 2,200 hills. The 
with the shovel plow'. To review these 
operations, considering the reason for 
each, the seed bed is first firmed or 
slightly packed, enough loose soil is 
stirred up to recover the young plants, 
were so planted m J the next cultivation, which is both ways, 
umte. (four hills from, the single parent , , . . - ' 
tuber) and not the single hills are the 
basis of observation and selection. 
Throughout the growing season the 
plot is carefully watched, and any and 
all units that show any signs of disease 
such as wilt, leaf roll and mosiac, all 
— w ~— — — --' —v 7 
gets” the young weeds and supplies loose 
soil that is worked up to the hill. 
Spraying Pays Dividends 
We have found that thorough spray¬ 
ing gives results, and we go about the 
* 1 I * • ii j • . i 
weak' units that do not take on a strong job systematically and with rigid regu- 
i ij .1 _u-ioenmp laritv. The first annlication is annlied 
healthy growth, are rogued out. As some 
years these diseases do not show up as 
plainly as other seasons, due to varying 
conditions more or less favorable for the 
development of the disease, a thorough 
knowdedge of these is essential. The 
larity. The first application is applied 
when the vines are about nine inches 
high. This past season the crop was 
first sprayed during the first week of 
July. Two nozzles to the row were used, 
the nozzles being placed about 18 inches 
potato growers of Steuben County have apart, the spray being directed downward 
had splendid service from the farm The second application three nozzles to 
bureau on this work for several years past the row were used, one directly over the 
which has been of incalculable value to hills and the other two on opposite sides, 
the industry. A seed improvement The nozzles for the third and subsequent 
association was established and Mr. application were set so ^ that the spray 
Femow of the State College of Agricul¬ 
ture worked with the members on 
disease indentification and eradication 
and seed stock improvement. 
Weak Plants Pulled Out 
Of the 550 units we planted in the 
was directed into the hills for the side. 
These two outside nozzles were carried 
about four inches from the ground. 
The side nozzles are carried low to the 
ground and the Bordeaux driven forcibly 
through the tops from both sides and 
above. The crop was sprayed regularly 
UI me OOU UlllUa WC jjia.il UGH ui uhg -—j. • 1 , i o- V 
spring of 1921, there remained in the at intervals of eight days. Six applica- 
ground at the time of digging less than tions were made last year, the first at 
500 Each unit was dug separately 150 pounds pressure, the succeeding 
and the 4 hills of each unit placed in a five at 300 pounds pressure. The secret 
single pile. Here again was an oppor- of blight prevention is to keep the new 
tunity for selection. Only those units growth covered, and high pressure and 
that weighed 18 pounds or more and frequent applications will do this. As to 
conformed to the desired type, size and materials—we used 700 pounds of copper 
other desirable characteristics were saved 
and the rest of the units were rejected. 
A further selection was then made for 
the seed plot of 1922 and 54 of the 
sulphate and 800 pounds of lime on 
9 acres. 
Steuben County had a severe attack of 
blight a couple of years ago. In sections 
me seed piou oi n'u ^ y* -. w .. , . 
choicest units were chosen for this pur- that normally escape infestation, a short 
pose out of the original 550. Each of crop was harvested. The blight ap- 
these 54 units were sacked separately peared in our own community earlier 
. . . , . i l _cordmnc rvr +Lo oounfu Qtlfl 
and labeled so that we had a record of 
performance of each unit year by year. 
The seed is stored in our cellar at as 
low a temperature above freezing as 
possible. Low temperature prevents 
loss of moisture and results in great 
vitality of the seed. As soon as the danger 
of frost is over the seed is treated with 
corrosive sublimate and spread thinly 
over the floor of a vacant tenant house 
where they “green." Plenty of light 
than in other sections of the county and 
in many unsprayed fields the tops were 
brown and wasted away as early as the 
last week of August. The spray held our 
fields green until September 25th and 
crop was as clean and free from rot as in 
non-blight years. 
In the seed plot last year were planted 
20 tubers, the choice potatoes of the 
highest yielding single unit of the 1921 
planting, cut in four pieces and each 
wnere me.y giccu. , . . , *■ rr , , 
without direct exposure to the sunlight planted lengthwise m the row. through- 
- • i i T.! i fi___c-oocnn +m« rJr»f ra.rptullV 
OATS 
HEAVY ALBERTA 
Cluster, Canadian Grown 
(Weight 46 lbs. to measured bu.) $1.20 per bu. of 32 lbs. 
Freight paid on 9 bu. or more. 
B. F- METCALF & SON, Inc., 206-208 W. Genesee St„ 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
PATENTS 
Write today for free instruction 
book and Record o) Invention 
blank. Send sketch or model 
for personal opinion. CLARENCE A. O'BRIEN, Regis¬ 
tered Patent Lawyer, 732 Security Savings & corn! 
Bank Bldg- directly across street from Patent. Qrace, 
Washington- E>. Q« 
is an ideal condition. After a period of 
exposure of 10 to 18 days the seed is 
ready for planting. The corrosive subli¬ 
mate treatment is occasionally questioned 
by some men who have either not 
employed it or did not observe all the 
recommendations. I have sent treated 
tubers to the state college and a micro¬ 
scopic examination has proven the spores 
to have been killed. 
Clover Sod, Manure, Fertilizer 
For our soil I find that a clover sod 
manured about 10 or 12 loads and turned 
out the season, this plot was carefully 
rogued and at digging time, each hill was 
sacked and weighed separately. About 
30 out of a total of 54 rows were saved, 
for the following year’s seed stock. 
Our experience on the home farm and 
that of growers who have purchased 
certified seed, affords ample proof of the 
returns got from seed selection. Any 
seed stock, no matter how productive or 
disease free when purchased, will rapidly 
deteriorate if the “weak” hills are not 
rogued out. On the other hand, by 
carefully selecting only the highest 
1 
over in the spring makes an ideal seed producing hills, and those_ freest from 
b e d. To this is added K ton of home plant diseases, substantial improvemen 
mixed fertilizer per acre. We use a can be made and maintained. 
