Wm. Stuart

Effect of different storage temparature on the vitality of seeds potatoes

tion, in fact, where late varieties of potatoes are concerned, we believe they should be held at point of production until jus t in advance of the shipping season. Under conditions, however, which demand that they be held for an indefinite period in transit, we do not believe that our type of storage can be improved upon. We have used cold storage facilities from time to time, sometimes shipping two cars from the same lot of seed at the time and placing one of them in cold storage and one in our own storage. We find that cold storage often carries too high a percentage of humidity and does not allow sufficient ventilation to prevent mold developing in the seed. Resacking of seed stock is something we do not attempt to avoid by our method of storage. The customer is entitled to freshly graded stock without shrinkage and for this reason his seed should be packed as carefully as possible jus t before it is shipped to him. Nevertheless, we are convinced that the forced ventilation type of seed storage is the best thing of its kind we have yet developed.

Echoes from the nashville meeting

SummaryA preliminary field experiment was conducted to test the use of calomel as a dip treatment for potatoes in comparison with a hot mercuric chloride treatment and a Semesan Bel dip treatment. A laboratory test indicated complete killing of Rhizoctonia sclerotia with the hot mercuric chloride treatment and a nearly complete inhibition of growth of Rhizoctonia with the Semesan Bel and Calomel. Markedly and significantly better stands were secured on all of these treated plots as compared with the untreated. In this respect the hot mercuric chloride and Calomel dip treatments gave better average stands than Semesan Bel though the difference was hardly significant. All of these treatments also gave significant increase in yield over the untreated. These average increases varied from 22 to 37 bushels per acre. The higher yields were obtained with the hot mercuric chloride and Semesan Bel treatments though the differences between these yields and the yields of the calomel treated plots is not significant. The trial of less concentrated mixtures of calomel seems to be indicated.

The Kansas city potato meeting

The high price of seed stock may , in a few cases, deter some of the small g rower s f rom plant ing the usual amount , but, on the other hand, some of the larger growers , because the ant ic ipat ion of high prices dur ing the early shipping season, will p lant s l ight ly more than the usual amount . The wr i te r has recent ly re turned f rom Accomac and N o r t h a m p t o n Counties on the Eas te rn Shore of Virginia, where he a t tended several F a r m Bureau meet ings. The quest ion of po ta to fert i l izers has been discussed. The Virginia F a r m Bureau has mixed for its member s abou t 6,000 tons of po ta to ferti l izer of a special fo rmula r ecommended by the Virginia T r u c k Expe r imen t Stat ion. This formula has given such cons is tent ly good results dur ing the past two years tha t the amoun t which will be used by the t ruckers this season will be far in excess of wha t was ordered last year. The g rower s th roughou t the T i d e w a t e r section are becoming more in teres ted in the best g rade of certified seed. T h e F a r m Bureau of Accomac County has appoin ted a seed i m p r o v e m e n t commi t tee which will have charge of the demons t ra t ion s t ra in plats for the coming season. The resul ts dur ing the last two years have convinced the fa rmers that it is of the u tmos t impor t ance tha t they secure seed pota toes f rom sources best suited to their conditions. T h e seed i m p r o v e m e n t commi t t ee expects to have a much more e labora te demons t ra t ion than dur ing previous y e a r s . H . H. Z immer ly , J a n u a r y 16.