Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-04-26

NusuiH6tuh, II. - MANY person
prompted by the high price of Iris
potatoes have written to the U. S. D.
! partment of Agriculture asking hor
to grow them successfully in thei
, back yards or in vacant lots in thei
neighborhoods. Others, who IN tn
past have raised potatoes as a prof
able way of utilizing idle land or a
GRO (Which repays them, in whole o
in part for the cost and trouble @
keeping down weeds an dgiving
more orderly appearance to their prop
critics, point out that good seed pota
toes are scarce and high in price, an,
ask whether there is not some methot
of reducing the cost for seed for thei
plots or half acres.
The cost of seeding. the garden spe
cialists OF the Department point out
can be greatly reduced il, instead Of
using whole potato for planting. this
gardener will cut out from potatoes
conshaped pieces of flesh. each con
tanning an eye of the potato In this
way only from onefourth TO one-ffth
OF the flesh OF the potato will be need
ed to provide seed and the remand
er OF the potato can be cooked for tn.
BILE use These cones range from one
+ fifth to one-sevent of an ounce In
weight. whereas, under the usual
methods, the sets range from three.
fourths to two ounces i'm weight. A
gardener. under ordinary conditions,
will get best results by using Is to is
bushels, or 900 to 1850 pounds of pc.
tatoes to the acre. This method of
preparing sets. therefore, should
make available for table use over CTS
pounds of potato flesh which, under
ordinary conditions, would be planted
per acre
To plant plot so by 100 feet, or
approximately one.ninth of an acre, at
the same rate of seeding would call
for one and two-thirds to bushels of
seed, planted in the ordinary way.
The method Of using the cones and
eyes and cooking the remainder of the
flesh. therefore. becomes worth
while economy even when a small
area Is to be planted.
Under this plan 1t is not necessary
to prepare the seed all at one time.
From day to day the cones for seed.
ing can be cut from the potatoes as
they are being prepared for the table.
The cuttings then should be spread out
on piece OF paper in q moderately
cool room tab0ut SO degrees farhen.
heiD and allowed to remain there un-
til they have cured, that is. until the
cut surface has become dry. A day
or two should suffice for this, and
potatoes then should be put In shall.
low box or tray and placed where it Is
sim cooler. Any storage condition
that will insure them against frost
on the one hand and undue shriveling
on the other should prove satisfactory.
These seeds can be started indoors,
provided II Ii possible to secure suit
able soil and boxes, In such cases II
may be desirable to plant the eye cut
tings AT once. and allow them TO start
into growth indoors with the idea OF
TRANSFORMING them into the open
grounds when danger Of frost Is past
and the ground il dry enough to be
cultivated.
Small Sized Sets Require More Care.
The smaller the size Of the set, or
seed piece. used the more thorough
must be the preparation OF the soil
The more finely the soil Is pulverized
and the more uniform the moistare
conditions which can be preserved in
the soil, the better Is the chance for
the small seed piece to establish IT,
self A small set In rough lumpy
or driedout soil has little chance to
live, let alone make crop.
Generally speaking, the smaller the
size of the set, the closer II should be
planted In the row II maxium yields
are to be secured Such sets may be
expected to give the best yields II
not spaced more than 10 to II inches
apart in the row. ..
How to Grow Potatoes.
Successful potato growing, the gard.
en- specialists advise their correspond
ents, hinges largely on the following
factors.
/. Good land, well prepared
2. Abundance Of available plant
food and moisture.
B. Selection of proper varieties.
4. Good seed and good tillage.