A study of the factors influencing the improvement of the potato / by Edward M. East.

  • East, Edward M. (Edward Murray), 1879-1938.
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: A study of the factors influencing the improvement of the potato / by Edward M. East. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/88
    It is a common idea that the potato does not set fruit as freely now as formerly, and the explanation has been g-iven that the pro- duction of large quantities of tubers has led to the degeneration of the seeding power. It is true that many of our finest varieties bloom seldom and rarely set seed, yet this does not seem to be a cor- relation with yielding power, for some of our best varieties bloom freely, and under proper conditions, set seed. Fraser (37) has shown this variation in blooming to have been natural nearly two hundred years ago. He says: “Mark Catesby, who was in this country in 1722-1726, wrote that ‘in Vir- ginia and to the north thereof, they (potatoes) are annuals, and produce no flowers, while in Carolina and the Bahama Islands, they produce flowers. Many varieties existed at that time particularly in Virginia, and five kinds were com- mon: the Common, Bermudas, Brimstone, Carrot and Claret potatoes. The Bermuda potato was the only one that had a white flower, the flowers of all the other kinds being purple. This w'as the only variety that had a white skin and was white fleshed. It was round in shape, more tender, and more delicate to raise than the others, and did not keep so well.” In Connecticut, many excellent varieties do not seed and cannot be used as stock to breed from, but varieties representing all of our favored commercial variations in shape and color, can be obtained which produce seed. In other climates, notably Maine, Minnesota and Wisconsin many of the non-seeding varieties of Connecticut produce pollen and seed comparatively freely. This makes it pos- sible to obtain hybrid seed from varieties where the female parent at least is acclimated and adapted to these soils, for the female or- gans appear to be always perfectly normal. The tuber of the potato is a swollen, underground stem, with its eyes equivalent to the leaf buds of an aerial stem, and which are arranged more or less spirally in each case. The main underground stem of the plant varies in length with the depth of planting. At intervals on this underground stem, stolons are sent out, at the ex- tremities of which are found the tubers. Varieties differ greatly in the length of these stems and the manner in which the tubers are formed. A variety to be of commercial value should have very short stolons and bear only one tuber at the end. There should be no branches from the bud end of the tuber, as is sometimes the case. The physiology of tuber formations is discussed at length by Vochting (loi). Varieties of Today At present, there are in the United States over one thousand named varieties. This large list contains many names that repre-