The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-04-05
TRAYS AND RACK FOR sPRoUTING.

| TRAYS AND RACK FOR SPROUTISG.
were placed in room with rather sub
dued light, having temperature Of so
degrees to GO degrees r. Vigorous
sprouts soon pushed from the exposed
eyes. The whole potatoes were plant
ed in burrows in March in the, same pO-
sition they occupied in the boxes. The
same varieties of potatoes taken from
a storage cellar were planted in paral-
lei rows. The sand sprouted potatoes
took the lead from the start in vigor
and strength of top and produced po-
tatoes the LIST Of June, a week earlier
than the storage cellar potatoes. At
the final digging they showed better
potatoes and gave 10 per cent larger
total yield.
In another experiment part Of the
potatoes was treated the same as in
the first test except that the. sand was
kept moistened, and the other part was
placed in open boxes and kept in q
light room having temperature of so
degrees f. The tubers placed in sand
developed strong sprouts, and nearly
all rooted. When planted in the field,
they outstripped both the tubers sprout-
ed in open boxes and the storage cellar
tubers in vigor Of growth. The tubers
started in the open boxes gave earlier
yields than We're obtained. from the
storage cellar tubers, but not as early
as the tubers sprouted In moist sand.
The tubers sprouted in moist sand pro-
duced table potatoes from. seven to ten
days earlier than the storage cellar
seed.
At the Rhode Island station medium
sized whole potatoes sprouted on racks
in q fairly warm and light room gave
~ per cent better yield at the first dig
ging than potatoes kept in cold cellar
until planting time, and this was in
creased to 40 per cent at the final dig
glng. The percentage Of large tubers
was also greater at each digging with
the sprouted tubers.
At the Rhode Island station the rack
used held nine trays. Each tray was
81 feet long and ~ feet wide and
would hold about one bushel Of pota-
toes when spread out in single layer
for sprouting. The bottoms of the
trays were made of pieces Of lath plac-
ed about one inch apart. Nine trays
were placed in a rack over each other,
leaving about nine inches Of space be-
tween each tray. This method Of ar
rangement has the advantage of secur-
ing a very uniform distribution of light,
heat and air for all the trays; 1t great
" facilitates the handling Of the pOta-
toes and lessons the danger Of break
ing Off the sprouts when transferring
to the field for planting.
Another method of securing early pO-
tatoes in Rhode Island ON CONNER
cial scale Is that Of sprouting tubers In
q cold frame and planting out as soon
as danger Of frost is passed. The tu-
bers are cut into. pieces not smaller
than an English walnut, after rejecting
the two or three eyes nearest the stem
end which have been found to start
late. The eyes are placed side by side
In the bed, skin side upward, and COW
cred about four inches deep with fine,
rich earth. Their growth can be con-
trolled by proper regulation Of the cold
frame sash. At planting time the tu-
bers, which should be just breaking
the surface Of the soil, are carefully
lifted with manure forks, separated by
hand and placed in well fertilized rows
and entirely covered with soil, or, If
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