The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-08-09
A FLORIDA PLANT FACTORY


finite thing of vital Importance.
"Seed selection. I have been
studying that science for many
years with all kinds of plants, and
l have long since come to the con-
clusion that it is a waste Of money
to use inferior seed or plants for any
purpose. This is particularly true
of seed Lotatoes. Those that are
sound and healthy, full of stored-up
energy, will produce twice as many
plants as those that are devitalized
and weak Not only that, both the
plants and the potatoes themselves
when sound are much more able to
resist disease. In other words plants
are just like humans: when the tis-
sues of either break down disease Is
sure to follow. Some years ago
barrel of potatoes shipped to a man
IN the North was lost for more than
three months, but when it arrived
there was only one bad one in the
lot.
"What have you done with those
stored here-shipped them?"
"a few this year. Some are be-
ing bedded for plants inside that
fence.'
A description of this Enclosure Is
worth while, because so far as I
know 1t is unique in the simplicity
of the equipment and the results OBJ
tanned The fence inclosing two
acres, the second having been re-
Gently added to the original plat, is
eight feet high. 1t is built of cy-
press boards set close together and
lined throughout on the inside with
roofing paper to keep out what lit
tie cold air might sift through the
cracks. TIL entire lot ca nbe COW
cred with canvas-ten thousand
yards of it-which slides on, wires
supported at intervals by poles.
These curtains are arranged so sim
ply that one man can shade the
whole area at an hours notice, max
ing it wind, frost and sun proof,
The soil, a light sandy loan, is un-
derdrained by tiles and irrigated by
an overhead system, the water being
forced through pipes by a gasoline
engine.
100000 Slips to the Acre.
When I saw this plant factory
that's exactly what 1t is-trenches
ten or twelve inches deep and four
feet wide had just been dug, ex-
tending the full width Of the inclo-
sure. On the bottom Of these sew
eral inches Of horse manure had been
laid and upon this an inch or two of
soil, which was tranped smooth and
hard and allowed to remain in this
a day or two to allow the
sun to warm the soil thoroughly.
The sweet potatoes were dumped
indiscriminately on the beds; then
each one wes taken separately and
packed in a single layer as close as
sardines In a box. The bottom Of
the bed was literally paved with
them. This done, a thin covering Of
straw was placed upon them and
over this a thin layer Of coil.
After this, as the draws or slips
come through, little more earth
Is added every few days until they
have reached the proper length. BY
covering them shallowly each time,
so that the suns heat can penetrate
easily, and by sprinkling hem at
the right time. the earth Is kept
both warm and moist, which makes
their growth in the beds very rapid.
"How many bushels do you bed
to an acre?" I asked, trying to ac-
count for the twelve thousand that
had been stored in the banks.
"About four thousand. There are
twice that many here; the rest are
bedded In another field"
"How many slips do you get from
a bushel of potatoes?"
"About fifteen hundred. Not all
at once, Of course. They keep on
coming as fast as they are pulled
It takes some care and skill to draw
them without breaking or bruising,
but the trick Is easily learned One
man can pull over twenty thousand
a day. They are tied with rafla in
bundles Of fifty and shipped in
crates o I different sizes. The ship
ping season is from April first to
August, and they go all over the
United Stases'
"And the price per thousand?"
"a dollar and seventy-five cents,
cash with the order; consignee pay
ing the freight"
1t didn't take long to figure the
results, which have got any out
door acre which I have ever heard Of
beaten b y long country mile: four