Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-03-30
SAVING SEED POTATOES
BY Using Cones with Fves Three
Fourths of Flesh Can Be Used
For Cooking


The cost of seeding Irish potatoes
can be greatly reduced, the garden
specialists of the United States De-
partment of Agriculture point out,
II, instead of using whole potato
out from potatoes cone-shaped pieces
of flesh, each containing an eye of
the potato. In this way only from
one-fourth to one-fifth of the flesh
of the potato will be needed to provide
seed and the remainder of the potato
can be cooked for table use. These
cones range from one-fifth to one
seventh of an ounce in weight,
wheareas, under the usual methods,
the sets range from three-fourths
to 2 ounces in weight. A gardener,
under ordinary conditions, will get
best results by using 10 to 1S bush
els, or 900 to 1880 pounds of potatoes
to the acre. This method of preparing
sets, therefore, should make avail
able 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-nlnth of an acre,
at the same rate of seeding would
call for 1873 to 2 bushels of seed,
planted in theordinary way. The
method of using the cones and eyes
for seed and cooking the remainder
worthwhile economy even when
small area is to be planted.
Under this plan it 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 modera-
tely cool room about so F., and
allowed to remain there until they
have cured; that is, until the cut
surface has become dry: A day or
two should suffice for this, and pota-
toes then should be put in a shallow
box or tray and placed where it is
still cooler Any storage condition
that will insure them against frost
OH the one hand and undue shriveling
OH the other should prove satisfac-
tory.
Thse seeds can be started indoors,
provided it is possible to secure suit
able soil and boxes. In such cases it
may be desirable to plant the eye
cuttings at once, and allow them to
start into growth indoors with the
idea of transplanting them into the
open ground when danger of frost
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 tn soil is pulverized
and the more uniform the moisture
conditions which can be preserved
in thcsoil, the better is the chance
for the small seed piece to establish
itself. A small set in rough, lumpy,
or dried-out soil has little chance to
live, let alone make Il crop.
Generally speaking, the smaller
The size of the st, the closer it should
he plantd in the row if maximum
yields are to he secured Such sets
may be expected to give the best
yields if not spaced more than 10
10 II inches apart in the row.
Preparing Soil for Potatoes.
The types of soil in which the
potato plant thrives best are those
designated as sandy or gravelly loan
soils. it may be grown with n fair
degree of success on any type of soil
except loose sand and heavy, sticky
clay soil, provided the land is well
drained and contains the necessary
plant food.
Successful potato production is de-
pendent to large extent on the
thoroughness with which the land is
prepared before planting the crop.
Where horse can be used, the land
deep, provided the surface soil is of
a sufficient depth to permit it. 1t
is never advisable to turn up more
than l inch Of raw subsoil at any
one blowing, so if previous plowings
have not been over inches the
maximum depth at which it should
be plowed is Z inches.
Where hand labor is employed, the
same rule should govern as to depth.
In spading, especially on grass or on
waste land, turn the earth bottom
side up.
Whether the lands plowed or is
verified Immediately afterwards. 1t is
bad practice to allow the freshly
turned soil to bake in the sun and
wind, and thereby become cloddy and
at the same time, lose a large per-
ceptage of its moisture.
Where horse labor can be used, the
land after blowing should be thor
oughly disked first, then spring-tooth-
ed, and finally finished with smooth
ing harrow. Where land must be
prepared by hand, it is good practice
to pulverize the soil as much as
possible when spading it up, after
which it can be put in fine condi-
ton of mellowness with steel gar
den rake. The Importance of thor
oughly filming the soil can not be ov-
eremphasized, for it increases the
water-holding capacity of the soil,
renders more food available and re-
duces the number of weeds.
Varieties Adapted to Different
Localities.
Early varieties-In the South CEN
trail and Southwestern States, the
Triumph may be expected to give
results equal to or even better than
the Irish Cobbler.
When In PLANT Pot atnos