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Bulletin 41

January, 1897

NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Varieties

POTATOES

Fertilizers

Scab

BY F. WM. RANE AND LEIQH HUNT

NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE

OF

AGRICULTURE AND THE MECHANIC ARTS

DURHAM

NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE

OF

AGRICULTURE AND THE MECHANIC ARTS

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

Durham, N. H.

BOARD OF CONTROL

Hon. GEO. A. WASON, Chairman, New Boston.
Pres. CHAS. S. MURKLAND, ex-officio, Durham.
CHARLES W. STONE, A. M., Secretary, Andover.
Hon. JOHN G. TALLANT, Pembroke.
Hon. FRANK JONES, Portsmouth.

THE STATION COUNCIL

President CHAS. S. MURKLAND, A. M., Ph. D., Acting
Director.

FRED W. MORSE, B. S., Vice-Director and Chemist.

FRANK WM. RANE, B. Agr., M. S., Agriculturist and Hor-
ticulturist.

CHAS. H. PETTEE, A. M., C. E., Meteorologist.

HERBERT H. LAM SON, M. D., Bacteriologist.

CLARENCE M. WEED, D. Sc, Entomologist.

ASSISTANTS

LEIGH HUNT, B. S., Assistant Agriculturist and Horticul-
turist.
CHARLES D. HOWARD, B. S., Assistant Chemist.
CLEMENT S. MORRIS, Clerk.

The Hulletins of this Station are sent free to any resident of New Hamp-
shire upon application.

EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES

BY F. VVM. RANE AND LEIGH HUNT.

The potato is more commonly grown and used than any other
vegetable. Scarcely any farm or garden is without them. Owing
to this fact, growers have exerted themselves to get new varie-
ties, many of which are identical with old ones, except that they
are given other names. One person, for instance, finds that in
a few years his Early Rose is superior to those of his neighbors,
and therefore distinguishes it by a new name. Not all new
varieties come about in this way, however, as we have some
noted men who are worthy the title of potato-breeders or origi-
nators.

In taking up the study of the potato during the past season at
this Station, we did not deem it necessary to enter into the whole
subject in detail. Methods of culture, size of cuttings to use,
various insecticides and fungicides recommended for both tops
and tubers, fertilizers, etc., have been very fully experimented
on in recent years by various authorities, and we have their
valuable experience to begin with.

The work upon which this report is based is as follows, in
outline :

i. Comparison of varieties.

2. Difference in effect of muriate and sulphate of potash
upon potatoes.

3. Potato seed treated with corrosive sublimate as compared
with that untreated.

I. COMPARISON OF VARIETIES

This being our first season's test, we desire to state that it is
offered only that others may make use of it in comparison with
their own experience. Just because a certain variety has given

4 EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES

a fair yield this year, it does not follow that it will do equally
well next season. The causes of variation from year to year in
the same variety cannot be due to the soil alone. It is not
uncommon to be able to select two hills of the same variety side
by side, the one far more productive than the other.

Some varieties of potatoes, as the Rural New Yorker No. 2,
American Wonder, Early Rose, White Star, etc., have sufficient
merit to gain a generally good reputation, while others become
valuable only locally. These facts are found out only by trial
tests.

The accompanying photograph, Figure 1, will give a fair idea
as to the characteristic, form, and appearance of each of the
eighty varieties under test the past season. The number above
each potato refers to the same number before its name in the
table. That specimen was selected that contained the most
decidedly typical characteristics of its variety.

I I

"3

9 10 11

12 rj

1 l

15 16

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"S i

17

18

19 20 21 22

23

21

31 32

25 26 27 28 29 ^

^SMfct*^ w

33 34 35 36 37

^

38 39 l0

<**»

i

13 |( 15 17 IS

52 53

57 58 59^ 60 61 62 63A 64

65 66 67 68 69 70 ^71 72

41

48

0„ 51 52 53 54

73 74 75 76 77

78

79 80

Fig. 2 — Varieties of Potatoes.

6

EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES

TABLE I. —Comparison of Varieties of Potatoes. (Yield Per Acre Cal-
culated from Forty-eight Feet of row, and Four Pounds of Seed.)

s

55

Variety.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

li

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

3-t

39

40

Uncle Sam (2 lbs. to 36 ft. of row)

American Wonder

Banner

Blush

Brownell's Winner

Burpee's Extra Early

Burpee's Superior

Bill Nye

Bracey's Rising Sun

Carman, No. 1

Carman, No. 3

Champion

Clark's No. 1

Clay Rose

Crown Jewel

Country Gentleman

Delaware

Dewdrop Rose

Early Harvest

Early Market

Early Norther

Early Puritan

Early Rose

Earlv Six Weeks

Everitt

Early Fortune

Early Wisconsin

Early Thoroughbred

Freeman

Farmer's Alliance

Good News

Great Divide

Green Mountain

Harbinger

Houlton Rose

Harvest Queen

Howe's Premium

Honeoye Rose

Irish Cobbler —

Irish Daisy

0>

o
a

-

214
240
273
272
305
215
209
195
165
230
239
152
193
243
223
270
214
258
248
99
244
198
267

no

160
148
233
220
174
246
232
224
180
155
305
287
140
224
301
154

Variety.

41
12
43
44
45
16
47
is
III
50
51
52
53
51
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
Vll
71
72
73
71
75
76
77
7*
79
80

u
o

ea
u

-

King of the Roses 309

Koshkonong 227

Late Puritan 316

Leonard's Favorite 307

Maggie Murphy 201

Money Maker 223

Mill'sEndurance 118

New Queen 289

Ohio Jr 256

Orphan | 240

Parker's Market i 255

Polaris 242

Peerless Jr 219

Prize Taker ! 274

237
315
342
453
263
303
209
247
149
300
354
229
243
271
394
325
171
307
323
399
257
329
184
373
232
375

Pride of Ireland

Queen of the Valley

Quick Crop

Reeve's Rose

Rochester Rose

Rupert's Perfection

Rutland Rose :

Rural New Yorker, No. 2..

Rose, No. 9

Seneca Beauty

Sir William

Somerset

Salzer's World's Fair

Victor Rose

Vick's Perfection

Vaughan

Vick's Advancer

White Star

White Mountain

White Rose

Wilson's Fair Choice

Woodhull's Seedling

World's Fair

Woodburv White

White Ohio

Governor Rusk

The potato plot was a good loam soil, grading into a light clay
towards the south and east. A crop of millet was grown upon
the land in 1895, and potatoes in 1894. In the spring of 1896
a light coating of cow manure and a heavy application of a com-
plete potato fertilizer were spread upon the plot. The land was
furrowed, and the potato seed cut in the ordinary manner, two
or three eyes to each piece, and two pieces dropped every two
feet. At the second hoeing, the rows were partly hilled. After

NOTES ON VARIETIES 7

the bugs appeared, the vines were treated three times with Paris
green, and twice sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. The second
and third time that Paris green was used, it was stirred into
the Bordeaux mixture.

May and June were cool, dry months, and potatoes started
slowly. While the rest of the season was sufficiently wet, there
was no continuous moist, muggy weather to induce late blight
and rot.

TABLE II. — The Fifteen Heaviest Yielders, in Order of Productiveness.

<x>
,0

a

a

Varieties.

Yield per
acre.

58
74
69
80
78
65
57
76
70
73
43
56
41
44
72

Eeeve's Rose.

White Rose

Vick's Perfection —

Governor Rusk

Woodburv White

Sir William

Quick Crop

Woodhull's Seedling

Vaughan

White Mountain

Late Puritan

Queen of the Valley .

King of the Roses

Leonard's Favorite.
White Star

453
399
394
375
373
354
342
329
324
323
316
315
310
307
306

NOTES ON VARIETIES.

i. Uncle Sam (Henderson). — This variety was first put upon
the market last season. The introducers claim it to be a heavy
yielder, of uniform shape and size, and superior in cooking
qualities, which claims seem to be well-founded — from our results
the past season. It made strong, healthy vines, continued to
grow late, and yielded well. The tubers were oval in shape, of
handsome appearance, and but few small ones. Skin mostly a
clean white, with a somewhat russetty appearance. It ripens
with Rural New Yorker. All things considered, this potato
gives great promises for the future. Mr. H. N. Hammond, a
seedsman and potato-grower of Michigan, says : " Heretofore. I
have considered the Carman, No. 3, the most perfect of all late
varieties I have tested, but from one season's trial, I must admit

8 EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES

that Uncle Sam even surpassed Carman, No. 3, in wonderful
growth, in yield, and last, but not least, in quality."

2. American Wonder. — Within the past few years, this variety
has been very generally grown. From general reports, it stands
up well in productiveness. The vines are very vigorous, and do
not blight readily. The potatoes are white ; medium to large;
quite uniform in size, and regular in shape. Its yield at the
Michigan Station, in 1895, was 379 bushels, with an average
yield for four years of 242 bushels. At the Ohio Station, in 1895,
it yielded 276 bushels, with an average yield for two years of
222 bushels. Our yield the past season was 240 bushels.

3. Banner (Livingston). — This potato is of very pleasing
appearance. It does not appear to have the fixed characteris-
tics that mark other stable varieties ; the eyes are both shallow
and deep, and the color not sufficiently uniform. It was above
the average in productiveness.

4. Blush. — A very vigorous, red and deep-eyed variety. Fairly
productive, and medium early ; round to oblong in shape.

10. Carman, No. 1 (Thorburn, 1894). — This variety was intro-
duced in 1894, and is one of Carman's seedlings. The vines
were large, with far spreading branches, making a thick foliage.
The tubers were numerous but not large, running from medium
to small, and usually oval in form, squaring off at the ends. The
eyes were shallow ; color, white. It ripened in midseason. Its
greatest drawback seemed to be its setting more tubers than
could be matured of fair size. It is reported by others as out-
yielding and giving better size than the Rural New Yorker, No. 2.

Carman, No. j (Thorburn, 1895). — This variety is widely and
favorably known, because of its very general introduction and
growth in 1895. It is another seedling of Mr. Carman's, and
resembles in appearance of growth the Rural New Yorker, No. 2,
with purple sprouts, purple blossoms, and dark-colored stalks.
It is a late variety. The shape is somewhat longer than that of
the Rural New Yorker, No. 2. There were but few small tubers.

14. Clay Rose. — This potato is a late red variety. It is
claimed to be specially adapted for stiff clay soils. It was small
and short in shape, and eyes rather deep. Not promising.

16. Country Gentleman (Jerrard, 1896). — This potato was

NOTES ON VARIETIES 9

introduced the past season by Mr. Jerrard, of Caribou, Me. It
grew very well during the fore part of the season, but blighted
early. The tubers were not very large, and of various shapes.
It was a medium late, of rose color, with shallow eyes. Forty-
three per cent, scabby.

21. Early, Norther (Jerrard, 1892). — A medium early market
variety. It resembles the Early Rose in general appearance.
Was not very uniform in size and form this season.

28. Early Thoroughbred (Maule, 1896). — This newly intro-
duced variety does not seem to have any points of special merit
to recommend it. It may need a soil different in some respects
from ours. The tubers were generally small, oblong, and not
attractive. It belongs to the Rose family.

29. Freeman (Maule, 1891). — This variety is very highly fla-
vored ; tubers white ; shape, round to oblong. It seems to
require high culture. Potatoes too small for marketable pur-
poses.

38. Honeoye Rose (Dibble, 1896). — Mr. Dibble offered this
for the first time the past season, ahd says it is a seedling of the
Victor Rose, which in turn was a seedling of the Reeve's Rose.
It did not yield as well as either of its ancestors with us last
season. The size was good, having but few small tubers ; eyes,
shallow. Promising.

41. King of the Roses. — A medium early, strong-growing
variety, of good rose color ; oblong in shape, resembling Reeve's
Rose quite closely. Rather too large a proportion of small
tubers. Good yield. Nine per cent, scabby.

43. Late Puritan. — A late, yellowish-colored variety, of vigor-
ous habits of growth. The tubers long, uniform in size and
regular in shape ; fine appearance.

44. Leonard's Favorite. — Was fairly productive, of rose color,
and with long, slender, spreading growth. A good early variety.

45. Maggie Murphy (Vick). — A midseason variety, pink in
color, and quite widely grown. Its yield was light here this
past season, but the tubers were mostly of marketable size. In
some sections of the state it is reported as not being a good
keeper, and of poor quality. Generally, it seems to be a favorite.

46. Money Maker (Dibble, 1895).— A long, white, cylindrical

10 EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES

potato, with a tendency to have protruding knobs. A rather
large proportion of small potatoes.

50. Orphan. — A fine, long, slender, smooth, white potato;
shallow eyes. Uniform in shape, size", and color. It presents a
good appearance.

51. Parker's Market (Jerrard, 1895). — Oblong to cylindrical in
shape. Red color ; claimed to withstand rot, and adapted to
heavy soil. Medium size, but too many small tubers.

53. Peerless, Jr. — Flat and rectangular in shape. Eyes shal-
low, and mostly at the tip end of tuber. All of good size. Re-
sembles the Rural New Yorker, No. 2.

57. Quick Crop. — A potato of the Hebron type, although
somewhat darker in color. Smooth, oblong, and of fair size;
yield, good ; a promising variety. It is grown mainly in the
West.

58. Reeve's Rose. This variety is grown extensively by the
Jersey and Long Island truckers. It was the most productive
grown at the Station last season, but the percentage of large
tubers was not as great as of some others ; not so productive.
It is rather deep-eyed, pink in color, slender and oblong in shape,
and second early in ripening. Strong, vigorous tops.

63. Rose, JVo. g (Dibble). — A late, red variety, introduced the
past season by the Dibble Seed Company, who claim for it :
" Our latest and best late red variety for general field culture."
In their field test of 207 varieties, covering two years, this
showed the best average yield of the red sorts. Its yield here
was among the lowest. The tubers were of good size, but the
greatest objection was its tendency to grow bumps, or protruding
eyes upon the surface, and to scab readily. It may overcome
these objections upon further trial.

65. Sir William. — A vigorous and prolific late variety. It is
a strong grower, with vines erect and over three feet in length.
Color, white ; long, square ends. Its being late to mature frees
it from the early blight. It stood sixth in rate of yield, but
much nearer first in production of marketable potatoes. We are
much pleased with it thus far. We find it highly spoken of by
those who have tried it. Prof. W. J. Green, of the Ohio Experi-
ment Station, after having grown it on different kinds of soils

NOTES ON VARIETIES

11

for two years, says : " It is an almost ideal potato, both for
home use and for market." Dr. I. B. Chamberlain, of the Ohio
Farmer, claims it to be the best potato he ever grew. It was
about twenty per cent, scabby with us this season.

Fig. 2. — Sir William Potato.

66. Somerset (Jerrard, 1895). — A rose-colored variety, ripen-
ing midseason, eyes rather deep. Only average in productive-
ness last season. The tubers run evenly, and make a good
appearance. Quality excellent.

69. Vick's Perfection. — A second early variety, productive,
color white, shape irregular, eyes both deep and shallow ; no
uniformity. A good many small tubers ; sixteen per cent, scabby.

70. Vaughan. — Numerous tubers set, but did not reach suffi-
cient size. Blighted early; twenty-seven per cent, scabby.
Beauty of Hebron type.

12 EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES

72. White Star. — This old variety stood well in the test,
giving a yield of 306 bushels per acre. The tubers were long,
evenly cylindrical, and of a clean, white appearance. Vines
rather slender and long, of late growth ; four per cent, scabby.

73. White Mountain. — Healthy, vigorous grower; strongly
resistant to early blight. Well-proportioned, large potatoes ;
twelve per cent, scabby, and these among the smaller tubers.
Yield good.

74. White Rose. — The tubers were long and cylindrical, with
very light pink, shallow eyes. A medium, second early potato,
of the White Star type ; yield heavy, but too many small tubers.
The largest were not large.

79. White Ohio (Vick, 1896). — This is a seedling of the
Early Ohio, only white in color. The introducers claim it to be
the earliest white potato grown. It did not prove superior with
us, although its general appearance was good. The yield was
an average one, tubers flat and oblong in shape, and containing
a fair proportion of small ones. Shallow eyes.

80. Governor Rusk. — A potato of nice appearance, smooth,
long and cylindrical in shape, of reddish color, and very pro-
ductive. The tubers averaged good size ; the vines were strong
and large; eighteen per cent, scabby. A desirable variety if it
continues to do as well as this season. Ripens with the second
early varieties.

2. MURIATE VS. SULPHATE OF POTASH.

It has been thought in recent years that although muriate of
potash is the cheaper form of the potash salts, for the amount
of fertilizer it contains, it nevertheless has some properties that
render it undesirable for a number of vegetables, among them,
potatoes. Experiments in Germany and at the Massachusetts
Station, point very conclusively to this fact. We tested these
two forms of potash on each of the eighty varieties of potatoes
grown the past season, one half of each row being treated with
sulphate, and one half with muriate.* The other forms of fer-
tilizer used, as phosphoric acid and nitrogen, were the same
throughout. The results were as follows :

Of the eighty varieties, forty-seven gave a heavier yield with

TREATMENT FOR POTATO SCAB 13

sulphate, and thirty-three with muriate of potash. The total
yield, however, was in favor of the muriate. The total weight
of those grown with sulphate was 1,978 pounds and 7 ounces,
and with muriate, 1,996 pounds and 9 ounces — making a differ-
ence of 18 pounds and 2 ounces in favor of the latter.

In comparing the percentage of large and small potatoes,
there was but a slight difference. The weight of the large, or
marketable, potatoes with sulphate was 1,567 pounds, and with
muriate, 1,586 pounds, 19 pounds in favor of the latter. The
small potatoes yielded 411 pounds with sulphate, and 409
pounds with muriate.

From the data obtained from this single year's test, little pref-
erence is shown for either of these forms of potash, as far as
yield is concerned.

3. CORROSIVE SUBLIMATE TREATMENT FOR POTATO SCAB.

Most of the trials in treating the potato seed before planting
with corrosive sublimate have proved it to be beneficial.
During the past season, we tested its efficiency upon each of the
eighty varieties grown. The soil, having been used for a potato
crop two years previously, was inoculated with the disease. One
half of each variety was placed in a coarse sack, and after soak-
ing one and one-half hours in a solution, in the proportion of
two ounces of corrosive sublimate to sixteen gallons of water,
was taken out and drained off; then cut and planted. Through-
out the fore part of the season the soil was comparatively dry,
but during the remainder was very moist, and offered exception-
ally favorable conditions for scab development, as it is well
known that moisture favors its growth.

From the data secured, we arrive at the following results :
Two varieties, Nos. 60 and 68, were free from scab with both
treated and untreated seed. Two varieties, 3 and 58, showed
the same percentage of scab under both conditions. Sixty-two
varieties favored the treatment, while the remaining fourteen
did not. The total average for those treated was 24I per cent,
of scabby potatoes, while for those untreated it was 35^ per
cent. The efficiency of the treatment, therefore, was io| per
cent. Considering the fact that the soil was infected, and that

14 EXPERIMENTS WITH POTATOES

some manure was used, while the season also was favorable for
scab development, the results seem marked in favor of corrosive
sublimate. If applied to the seed of a variety that gave a
yield of 300 bushels per acre, even under the unfavorable
conditions mentioned, there would be 30 bushels more free
from scab than otherwise. This treatment is very generally
accepted as being sufficiently practical for recommendation.

SUMMARY REMARKS.

i. This being the first season's test, we hesitate recom-
mending many of the varieties.

2. We feel little hesitancy, however, in recommending such
as White Star, Rural New Yorker No. 2, American Wonder,
Carman No. 3, Governor Rusk, and Sir William, as these have
been reported on favorably from so many sections.

3. The fifteen varieties giving the heaviest yield, in order of
productiveness, are given in Table II.

4. The ten varieties giving the least yield, in order, beginning
with the poorest, are : Early Market, Early Six Weeks, Mill's
Endurance, Howe's Premium, Early Fortune, Rose No. 9,
Champion, Irish Daisy, Houlton Rose, and Bracey's Rising Sun.

5. The average productiveness of all varieties per acre was
244 bushels, the lowest being Early Market with 99 bushels, and
the highest, Reeve's Rose, with 453 bushels.

6. There was very little difference in the effectiveness of
muriate and sulphate of potash on potatoes. One appears to
be about as effective as the other.

7. Those treated with corrosive sublimate gave on an average
ioi per cent, less scab than those untreated; or about 25
bushels to the acre.

8. After we have selected a sufficient quantity for seed pur-
poses, we shall be pleased to send, at the expense of the receiver,
a limited quantity (a few potatoes) for test purposes, provided
the person receiving them has had experience in potato growing,
and will report his results as soon as the crop is harvested.

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