The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-08
GIVING POTATOES A START.

In reply to the query, 'eNN ould it be
safe and practical to start potatoes in a
loft over the kitchen three or four weeks
before the regular time to plant them,
then mark out and set them by hand,
the start Of enough for an sIcre of early
potatoes to be made in paper boxes or
sods?" some New Yorker gives this re-
ply, which is replete with valuable
points to the potato grower.
The only advantage we lnow Of from
starting the eyes of potatoes by placing
them in warm, light rooms is that we
find out in this way which are the
strong, which the weak eyes, which the
"blind" or dormant eyes. and even this
is not an infallible way tDf ascertaining
as to the potency of the eyes. For in
stance, if we place whobs potatoes OF
given variety in the sun and warmth OF
room for three weeks Or more before
the planting time, the seed end eyes will
sprout first. Some of the others may
sprout feebly, some not at all
This sprouting propensity varies great
ly with different varieties In some
kinds every eye will asprout vigorously
and in few days. In other kinds only
one or two eyes will ssprout, as if these
eyes controlled polized-the entire
vitality of the tuber. Again. we may
take two tubers of the same variety
Let us cut one in four pieces, the other
not at all, and place all in light and
warmth. The whole, tuber will, as to
most varieties. sprout; chiefly at the seed
or apex portion.
The one piece of fine four which con-
tains the seed end eyes will be the first
of the four to sprout, but these sprouts
will not develop so fioon or so vigorously
as if the seed end pi zee had not been sew
cred from the rest of the tuber, while
the eyes Of the 9th er three pieces will
sprout sooner and isrow more vigorously
than if they had remained portion OF
the tuber. This has been our repeated
experience. We do not attempt to &C
count for it. though a snap explanation
would be that all the eyes are connected
with the cambium layer. which eaerts
its strongest developing power at or near
the apex in the stems Of most other
plants as well as in the swollen stem of
the potato tuber,
We are therefore of the opinion that.
whereas only few eyes of whole tuber
will develop if it be placed in a warm
light room. many of the eyes of the same
tuber would have pushed had it been
cut in pieces and similarly treated. The
only real advantage we know of from
starting the eyes of seed potatoes before
planting. is that we may in this way be
enabled to select only eyes sure to grow
A long. slender growth of the eye is
never desirables-such as that which oc-
ours in damp. warm cellars. The rea-
son is evident enough. The seed piece is
exhausted proportionately with the
growth of the eye. and the shoot has less
to support it when planted until it can
throw out self supporting roots. Pieces
started in bits of sod. pots or boxes
would no dolbt prove a trife earlier than
pieces not so treated. but we would not
try the plan with any hope that the in
crease in earliness or yield would pay for 4
the trouble.
Creameries Ought to Run Full Handed All
the Year Round.
With good supply of cream in the
fall and winter they gould realize larger
profits than in summer. Butter is high
then, and all that they could make could
be sold for high price. But the trouble
is they cannot get enough cream from
their regular patrons to make it pay to
keep the creamery open. 1t is business
question with them, and so as the only
solution to it they have to close from
three 70 six months every year.
Now this is simply another reason
why more attention should be given to
improved winter. dairying. If all the
dairymen could supply more cream for
the creameries than they do now through
the winter their business would never
stop. The majority of the cows are
simply summer animals. They yield
good milk and cream during spring and
summer, but shut down almost COM
pletely when winter comes. 1t would
even pay the dairymen to have winter
seows instead of SUMMER. Keep them
dry in summer, and harvest good milk
producing feed for winter. Then feed
them well, give them warm quarters,
and make twice the profit from the sale
'of the cream that is now realized.
But the right cows, properly fed and
housed and managed, can be made to.
produce good cream summer and win
Ter. The fact that the old fashioned
clarifying was practiced only during
Summer holds such sway over the minds
of some farmers that they are averse to
attempting anything else. They will
not give proper heed to the feed and
housing. The animals are going to be
an expense anyway, and SO they reason
we will reduce it next to nothing.
Winter feed will not cost much more
than summer if it is properly obtained
and fed. Good millet, hay and corn
fodder can be, provided in abundance,
and the silo will yield enough succulent
food to keep the animals in excellent
condition. Give the cows warm house
on cold days, and let them spend most
of their time in it. A few hours day
in the yard will give them enough ex-
5ond frocb