The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-04-21
WING "SUN-SPROUTED TU-
BERS.
By Il. II. BalIOu.


,,.n. i Is impossible TO preserve
"a not.toes in good condition IN a
.oroga which combines too hlgh
Sen,ee If temperature with darkness,
darkness or even slightly sub
T,ed light, il is quite possible TO keep
80, for several weeks, in late spring
tn' rT summer. when they are
,d thjnly on the floor Of a bright
,,,,v sr room. After danger of freez-
s', leather is past they are even bet
80 nlaced out Of doors in the direct
sbire 4 series Of shelves arrang-
"a one above another on the southern
axnosure Of the dwelling or farm
,~,i1irg provides an excellent place
far sun sproutiug. The tubers are
snread in single layers on shelves and
aiiowcd 10 remain until wanted for
nIantinc. Exposed TO the full force
~ tho suns rays the tubers, instead
Of sending out long, white, tender.
srcculent sprouts as in poorly lighted
storage. become hardened in flesh and
Green in color, and very short, stubby,
firm. green sprouts are developed by
the eyes. Withering of the tubers is
but slight as compared with that un-
der conditions found in a warm, dark
storage and they will remain in the
ton for planting.
Tubers may be exposed to the SUM-
light for several weeks-from four to
ten weeks and they will sprout splen-
didly, Such tubers when cut one
sprout 10 piece and planted, send
up strong plants in surprisingly
short time. II is hardly profitable to
sun sprout large tubers for planting,
as not all OF the eyes will develop
sprouts and considerable waste will
result. However, the plan is excellent
when smaller tubers are used and
planted without cutting. So firm and
tough become the hard, short, sturdy
sprouts developed in the sun, that
planting may be done with certain
horsepower machines without injury
70 the seed tubers il not too many
are placed in the planter at time.
Planting OF sun-sprouted seed is Of
ten delayed as late as the early part
OF July with excellent results in the
production Of fine quality OF seed
stock for the following year.
The results Of careful experiments
with sun-sprouted and common seed
potatoes show a decided advantage ir
FAVOR OF the former. Stock which had
oeeh raised from sun-sprouted seed
was was planted last year by the
side Of common stock, or seec
which had been grown il
the ordinary way. There ar, r.
-t-tenth-acre plots in each serie.
OF the three year rotation, potatoes
"nedl-cloYer The plots are 272 fee
tohs ara 10 feet wide, which permits
~. st rows OF potatoes in each plot
me hfst three rows in each plot wer
painted with seed tubers from tn,
S4y planted stock and the other tw,
"un me ordinary seed. This methot
pecioded the possibility Of any un
equdi effect upon the various plots b,
0S.ns TWO lots of seed.
ne potatoes were all the same va
' dno were all planted the sam
s"o me plants grown from Jul
ta pIouted seed appeared nearl
and rH eeNH IN advance of the other
maintained quite a noticeabl
s,,a ce until they were Of larg
d;oo" :" TACT, so noticeable was tn
s;a, ruce IN the viGor and increase
PIC ot the plants that the casual oh
n'er would stop and remark, an
ir more interested one would inuuir
"DETAILS OF the method. Man
nluSht mat the two parts of tn
or 'oo ,e were planted at different date
pto'Hioiy were of different yarietie
lar ~ understood that this particu
tha - was not sprouted but tha
spel '.9p np was raised from sproute
of "I" "".ch had been planted the fir:
So, Tue Year previous. The sea
r,11. as not good one, serious il
wi', pe'n9 made by the fusariul
spb t,'h Seriously impaired the re
~ an Increased yield and higf
ua, Sthi of termination were COZ
es '"r""shout the plats, in favt
.. .r .Hn-surouted ICED. The tot;
S' results are "a follows: La
=, number of hills per row
80. zoe non seed. 1873: late grow
r,n .n 2 eerm;nat;onD: 90; con
tt fl 80 late grown (avera,
r ""Aad+ per ROW.: SEA: con
"dshel of potatoes raise
6'"@tAd seed were placed in
'' IN the storage room besi,
mo 1. '1seel raised b. the ordina
l''u fs1 N -. e H.