The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-05
WHOLE POTATOES FOR SEED.
Importance of Testing Small Tubers Be-
fore Planting.

The question of planting small to me-
dium size potatoes whole probably has
occurred TO every grower, writes f. A.
Rogers of Maine in the American Guilt
vator. IL is one that should be thor
oughly understood and the source from
which the seed came be known in every
case before ii is planted. Failure to do
this is likely to result in loss in the
! WELD of crop. The size of the tuber and
the time and condition il is in when
planted have much TO do with the re-
suits obtained. In testing out the value
OF small sized whole potatoes for seed
have planted good many hundred bush
els of them, and under certain conditions
there is no seed we can plant that will
give us the results in yield and desirable
ity that can be obtained from medium
size potatoes planted whole.
Small tubers that are TO be planted
whole should come from good vigorous
hills: this is Of the first Importance.
They can be selected from a bin provid-
ed these were grown from selected seed
and the whole field was vigorous and
thrifty. II there were many spindling
stalks or weak hills in the field, the
small size potatoes should never be
planted that grew on Il. good vigor-
Gus hill seldom produces more than one
or two tubers small enough 20 plant
whole, and many times there will not be
one in several bills small enough for
this purpose. The weak. spindling stalks
and hills, not having vigor enough 20
produce large tubers. will nearly al be
OF the size needed for planting whole !
Thus il will b. seen. unless care Is used |
in getting seed Of this kind. we will b. /
planting tubers largely from the weak
est hills IN the previous crop. and a.
like bogets like our crop is sure 10
suffer The best sire Of tuber 10 use 4
have found to be just about as large a.
medium hens egg. and with rc~s three 4
feet apart and seed dropped u inches
apart in the row Of a size will take
about 20 bushels per acre.
II potato Of this size j. planted when
in = dormant condition OF before the
sprouts have started. there will usually
be from one 10 three sprouts start from
the seed end. These start 20 much
quicker and stronger than those from
syes nearer the stem end that they viii
ise up the plant food contained in the
.uber and there win ~ no sprouts start
from the other ewes n tubers Of too
argc sire ARE uscd. TIE quick starting
sprouts on tho seed end win not use up
" The plant food they contain and there
RiN b. many weak sprouts start from
he other eyes. These would net amount
p anything a. tuher producers and 20
VI intents and purposes are simply -
70 many weeds. d i not best o. plant
.ubers Of too small size even though
hsy come from good vigorous bills.
.either is i best Is risnt anv potatoes
> hoie after thr ewes have once started
. there q mnst s9rs 10 - too nrny
talks I'm q hif This can b. tar6ed In
ass 81 very early potatoes where tfe
ifp arruuts are hrntsu ~ ~ hard
savinF only ons q tee # ths hest on
- SD end
The Advantages NJ r'art "a V hole 500
Fhen thev eome frurr ttrfr goraus
fils arr that fhsv are ee-talr 80 profBee {
psrfssz stand 81 rlsrts ~ -lstfsf heu
- Neather maF furr affrr r'nnfiug
- wives rev faster auE fts e-er u5u
aaturs frnm ore ~ $50 wesls stsad e. I
30 seed FlaHted at tha nme fima esd
nder fhs sans rrnftiens Tls result
nt crop WI - sn.Frfi.sr and rnnnar
etata-s than mFusHr rrsw frou caf
I'D WY ttr are rtw r
BE- tn aetrrHa s at rartHe aiIrir re- 4
ltoes frf1lfra- ~ - nsrE SO
fnes ~ rlsrfanr wthprt rTt a. tae
I'd &c tta~s is - es-f srrFr-F frr e.
suis irtn eeatasf wfh Tgr-e = aar
80 injury - thr ase urs mums
80 plurf-H uhais 81 tisf - fressaf
tha sa thar s $50 am c sd ss