The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-04-28
Potato. Farming without A Farm.


A new method by which potatoes
NAV be grown in perfectly dark cellars,
on a tabletop thinly covered with
dry earth. with no cultivation and lit
tie care, is attracting some attention.
Light IL not only unnecessary, but
even Objectionable, since IT causes the
seed potatoes to sprout, which pre-
vents the formation OF the new,
Young tubes. The crop would seem
to be formed entirely from the sub
stance Of the mother potatoes" yet
their total weight IS greater, which
shows that the new tubers gain some
thing from their ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
from the atmosphere. BY this new
method the potato-gardener need not
live In the country. He can carry On
his gardening in city cellar and
have new potatoes ready for market
every month in the year. The pota-
toes gre said to be actually firmer
than the outdoor kind, of excellent
flavor, and have thin skins that may
be simply washed Off This novel way
OF gardening was, we are told, dis
covered by accident i'm England, and
we find II described in an article con-
tributed to Cosmos paris, March Al
by Jacques Boyer. We read:
Almost all species Of potatoes in
good preservation are fitted for this
mode OF underground culture, but 1t
ID the best to select large tubers with
out defects, for the slightest trace OF
fungus spreads rapidly and may spoil
the whole crop. Besides, 1t liz best to
take two-year-old potatoes, that IL TO
say, those OF last years gathering. ....
Once in possession or the seed-po-
tatoes, the planter must seek per-
fectly dark underground place-a eel
lar or abandoned quarry. The absence
Of light is essential, for the filtration
Of few rays causes the potatoes to
waste their energies in putting forth
sprouts in all directions instead OF the
buds of little potatoes.
"Countrymen and city-dwellers a
like may thus obtain good crops in
cellar corner or even in a dark closet
properly fitted up. Fine, dry
earth must be spread uniformly on a
table In layer two to three inches
thick, after being carefully sifted.
Then a slightly moistened sponge
must be passed over each potato to
wash Off the cryptogamic germs that
are 80 injurious to vegetable tissues.
"If some of the potatoes have be-
gun to sprout, the sprouts are remov-
ed carefully without wounding the
tuber. This done, the potatoes are
taken one by one and half buried in
the soil, planting them in rows spac-
ed about four inches apart"
The work OF cultivation is now
practically over There IL no back
breaking toll with hoe In the broil-
ing sun, and no fight with potato
bugs. The tubers are inspected now
and then to see that everything is
going on well, and two or three weeks
later each will be seen to be covered
with tiny white points, which sever
al days afterward change into little
potatoes that grow very rapidly:
When most OF these are reason
ably large, they are removed, leaving
in place the old potatoes, which con
tinue to bear. Several weeks later
another crop may be gathered, and
even a third; the budding keeps on
until the complete exhaustion OF the
parent tuber of which nothing remains
but the skin.
From time to time, sprouts may
push forth on the potatoes, and these
must he cut off with scissors.
when the cellar is entered for this
purpose, no vent must be opened; it
lis better to use artificial light, for the
slightest filtration of daylight causes
the tuhors to sprout.
"A curious fact, and one for which
no plausible explanation has vet been
found, is that the tubers produce a.
weight of small potatoes superior to
that Of their own substance.
This new system of cultivation will
be particularly serviceable to small
proprie+ors, who will thus be able to
grow successive crops of potatoes
from the month OF september until
the eerly varieties are ready in
spring.
".Potr--es thus grown have still an
other -iratle quality. They have SO
thin y SIN that 1t may be simply
washe5 Pff-no scraping or pairing IL
necess4 They have also an excel
lent fa zr md are firmer than other
varietics With less tendency to soft
e.. T. The Literary Digest