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

  • Edward Murray East
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.

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    This has left capital invested in starch mills completely unpro- ductive, as the limiting price within which the manufacturer can compete is forty cents per barrel of two and one-half bushels. There is no doubt but that the repeal of the tax upon alcohol for indus- trial purposes will furnish a channel for the utilization of all future excess of production over that used for human consumption, should the manufacturers of starch, glucose, dextrin and desiccated prod- uct,—who can pay a slightly higher price,—be unable to utilize it. At the present rate of increase of our population, however, the an- nual increase of production for human food alone must be from 3,ocx),ooo to 5,000,000 bushels; and an increase, which would be a factor in the production of alcohol at all comparable with that of Germany, would have to be many times that amount. The broad problems which confront the grower who has to face these demands, are, increased yields per acre and the development of varieties adapted to specific purposes. In the first instance suit- able soil, available plant food, and proper methods of tillage and of combating disease will do much; but here as well as in the second case, probably the possibility for as great an advance lies in the province of the plant breeder. The matter of variety efficiency to produce tubers in large quan- tities may be regarded as a desired accompaniment to all strains, no matter what other particular characters they may possess. The spe- cial characters, with the possession of which new varieties should be originated, are (i) an increase in nutritive value, (2) an improve- ment in table quality, and (3) a higher starch content. Coupled with the possession of each of these qualities should be the very important character of resistance to disease. Since the potato is one of the world’s cheapest food sources, if there is a possibility of finally obtaining varieties, which, without being perfect foods, yet would furnish a more nearly proper ratio of protein and carbohydrates; it would be an inestimable boon to the world’s poor, for protein is a much more expensive food con- stituent than starch. This problem is inseparably linked with im- provement in general table quality, for quality must in some man- ner be correlated with composition. On the other hand, varieties should be originated which yield a large amount of starch per acre, for the use of those growing for the starch, glucose or ajcohol manufacturer. It is recognized that at the present price of produc- tion, maize is a much cheaper source of alcohol than potatoes; but with the American taste for high starch potatoes, such^ potatoes would be used as food except in times of over production, until
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