Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-11-02

above the seed. Sometimes the latter
(all but the skinl is completely absorb.
ed by the growing plant; sometimes
you find it apparently almost unchang-
ed.
Now the first absorption takes place
,cithin definite lines in the potato--which
lines may be traced and studied by
splitting the potato and soaking it in
carmine water 1t will be seen that a
line of vital tissue, resembling cam
blum, runs through the centre of the
tuber with a branch running to each
eye-which fact is of the highest i'm
portance. Tubers may be from any :
where on one of these vital lines; the
life of the potato is not confined to the
eyes. This is strikingly shown by
planting whole potato with the eyes
all destroyed, which will sometimes re-
suit in the formation of new potato
inside of the old one, aoithout any uege-
tttion aehdteper the old tuber shrinking
as the new one grows. The practical
lesson is: cut each eye deep to the
centre, and at certain definite angle to
be ascertained by experiment, and
you will get the maximum possible
yield-best in quality also--from the
eye.
Trials of this plan in the field this
year at the Station resulted as follows:
A hundred hills were planted foot
apart. Where whole potatoes, or halves
KN1n
no sort of uniformity in the yield; the
crop of adjoining hills varied as much
as three to one. But where single
eyes were planted, cut as above des
cribed SO as to preserve the six axis of
the eye, the product wss surprising
uniform in all the rows. In every
case the piece cut deep, however small,
gave much better yield and quality
than large piece cut shallow,
In regard to the planting of potatoes,
DR.. s. early this spring started num-
Der of eyes in sand indoors, and grew
them to three feet in height, but they
formed no tubers. When, however,
they were transferred to the soil, they
began imm ediately to form tubers. He
judges that it is necessary that the
mperature of the earth chould be
lower than that of the air III order that
a crop may be produced. He has
tried high hilling-four to five feet.
The result was few and very small
tubers, because the plant had to do SO
much growing and digging. Yet deep
planting is sometimes advantageous,
for the tubers need certain degree OF
protection, and sometimes in light soil
the potatoe inclines to come little to-
ward the surface. Perhaps it seeks
warmth and dryness. In one expert
ment, the addition Of six inches OF
sand to an extremely heavy clay soil,
utterly unfit for potato growing, pro
duced an extraordinarily large and fine
yield.
Essential conditions of success, then,
seem to be- l. A single eye cut down
to the central line 2. Wam NTH and
dryness for the growing tuber, but
GOODNESS and moisture for the roots.
Proper cutting is the great point, every
where and always. By this means
the crop may be increased to at least
25 per cent. over what it would be if
the potatoes were cut in another man
ner whatever and there is great saw
ing of Seed Country Gentleman.
HERE is an interesting story about q
sheep dog; In the snowfall 1907, the
heaviest of the present century, a
flock of 400 sheep was buried. Most
of them were covered up beneath
walls, or in hollows where they had
tried to find shelter when overtaken
by the storm aud darkness. The drifts
were probed with poles in vain. No
success attended the efforts of the
shepherds, until q young sheep dog
took part in the proceedings. he be-
gan to take a. serious interest IN what
was going on, smelling the ends of the
probing poles, and shifting at the holes
made in the snow. The final result of
this patient puzzling was that the light
broke suddenly upon him, and he
commenced scratching eagerly in the
snow. While the old dogs stood in
dolerty by, this young animal con-
tinued to point out the spots beneath
which the sheep were buried, barking
and bowling with delight at every re-
lease of the endangered sheep. At
the end Of the first day, 200 had been
extricated alive. On the following
day, many Others, some living, many
dead we're found. But the last sheep
did not come to light until New Years
day. 1t had remained since Nov. Is,
in hollow beneath furze bush, sup
porting life on the scanty heritage of
this shrub
Chuck Full of Bliss.
Dallas Herald