Northern Potatoes for Seed.

Do you regard northern-grown seed potatoes sufficiently better to make it worth while paying freight on them from the State of Washington?

Experience seems to indicate the superiority of northern-grown seed potatoes, not only in this State, but on the Atlantic Coast, and they are largely depended upon.  Systematic demonstration by comparative tests has been made by the Vermont station and preference for northern-grown seed seems, to be justified.

Potato Planting.

I have ten acres of land in Placer county which I propose to put into potatoes next spring.  It has been recommended to me to put potatoes in as early as January.  It seems to me that January is rather early; however, it is said that this land is in the orange belt and practically free from frost.

Whether you can plant potatoes to advantage in January or not depends upon the temperatures which you are likely to meet after that date, also whether the ground is warm enough in January, because there is no advantage in planting in cold ground nor in soil that is too wet at the time.  The earliest potatoes, of course, come from planting much earlier than January; usually as soon as the ground is moistened enough in the autumn.  The potato will stand some frost, but autumn planting is not feasible in places which are under hard freezing or receive too much cold rain water.

Potatoes Should be Planted Early.

I have Early Rose potatoes planted about May first.  The tops look fine, but there are few potatoes and small, and, though not developed, have commenced growing a second time, sprouts starting from the new potatoes.  When should I plant and what care should they have?

Your potatoes act peculiarly because of intermittent moisture — the plant being arrested by drought and then starting again, which is very undesirable.  To avoid this, potatoes should be planted earlier so as to get a large part of their growth during the rainy season.  If planted late the ground should be well wet down by irrigation, and then plowed and cultivated, and irrigation should be used while the plant is growing well.  If this is done, potatoes can be successfully grown by irrigation, but if the land is allowed to become dry the plant is arrested in its growth for a time and a second and undesirable growth is started.

Potato Balls.

I find in potato writings of forty years ago that the seed from the potato balls which form on the tops of the plants is recommended for growing the best potatoes.  In later books I find no mention of them and all are advised how to cut the tubers to get seed potatoes.

The seed of the potato plant which is found in the “balls” which develop on the tops of the plant is only valuable for the origination of new varieties, with the chance, of course, that most of them will be inferior to the tubers produced by the plant which bears the seed.  Therefore, these seeds are of no commercial importance.  There has also sometimes developed upon the top of the plant what is called an aerial tuber, which is even of less value than the seed ball, because it does not contain seed nor is it good as a tuber.