Sir, – Teagasc deserves our congratulations for its many successes in its potato breeding programme over the past 40 years (Dick Ahlstrom, Home News, July 12th). I inherited a love of potatoes and growing them from my Dad and maternal grandfather and am pleased to say that I have managed to be self-sufficient in growing our own potatoes in a small garden through the family-rearing years and currently.
In recent years I have marvelled at the flavour, good yields and disease resistance of such Carlow bred cultivars as Orla, Colleen, Cara, Rooster and Druid. We have been eating Orla since mid-May. Some years ago I used to grow a few stalks of Lumpar, the variety in vogue in the early part of the 1800s. Despite a blight protection programme these plants suffered very badly one year, while the newer varieties remained virtually disease free.
With the help of this DNA research the Oak Park, Carlow researchers can reach new heights and I wish them every success. – Yours, etc,