Burbank, Luther

Wild potato plants produce seedballs or fruit with seeds for reproduction. For various reasons, potato growers bred seedballs out of those varieties used for commercial production. All commercial potatoes then and now are propagated through cloning—a part of a potato with an eye is planted in the ground to produce a new plant. In 1872 Burbank found a “seedball” growing on the stem of an Early Rose potato variety in his garden. It was unusual for the Early Rose to produce seedballs, and Burbank wondered what novelties might sprout if he planted the seeds. All twenty-three seeds in the seedball sprouted and matured, and all the plants produced potatoes of different shapes, sizes, and colors. One very productive plant that grew from the seeds yielded large white tubers with brown skins. Burbank nurtured these potatoes, and he convinced a seedsman to buy the rights to them for $150.