Vegetable growing . Fig. 131.—Sprouting seed potatoes in a well-lighted room increases theyield and earliness. The disadvantage with this system is that the tubers mustbe planted by hand, because of the knocking off of the sproutsas they pass through the planter. Sprouting is desirable forthe production of early potatoes, or where small areas aregrown. Cutting seed potatoes is a practice that is quite varied indifferent localities. The question as to the size of cuttings to 28:; CROPS SOWN IN THE OPEN GROUND I)lant is largely a financial one. When seed are cheap or the\ariety has but a small n
Vegetable growing . Fig. 131.—Sprouting seed potatoes in a well-lighted room increases theyield and earliness. The disadvantage with this system is that the tubers mustbe planted by hand, because of the knocking off of the sproutsas they pass through the planter. Sprouting is desirable forthe production of early potatoes, or where small areas aregrown. Cutting seed potatoes is a practice that is quite varied indifferent localities. The question as to the size of cuttings to 28:; CROPS SOWN IN THE OPEN GROUND I)lant is largely a financial one. When seed are cheap or the\ariety has but a small number of eyes, the extra expense ofcutting may be more expensive than the extra cost of varieties having a medium number of eyes, it is a com-mon and reliable practice to cut the tubers into pieces havingtwo eyes each. However, careful experiments have shown. Fig. 132.—The vitality of potato seed is impaired .seriously if it is allowed toproduce long, slender sprouts. (The Country Gentleman.) that the whole potato is preferred either to the half-tuber orthe two-eye pieces for total yield produced, and for the netvalue of the crop. Under average conditions the best timeto cut seed potatoes is just before planting, and the amountnecessary will vary from 10 to 15 bushels per acre, dependingupon the size of the pieces planted and the distance. Treatment for Scab.—The scab fungus will live in the soilabout six years after it has once been introduced, and afterit is found to be present, rotation is the only successful treat- POTATO 283 nieiit. A good remedy for the prevention of potato scab is tosoak the tnbers, just before cutting, for two hours in a solutionof formahn—1 pound (1 pint) to 30 gallons of water. Varieties.—Each variety of potato thrives best on certaintypes of soil, and with varying amounts of plant food. Somexarieties, su
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectvegetablegardening
