The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-01

Inc cost OF 6eed1n8 irish potatoes
can be greatly reduced. the garden
specialists Of the United States De-
-t,nent of Agriculture point out, II.
instead of using whole potato for
planting. the gardener will cut 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 re-
mainder Of the potato can be cooked
for table use. These cones range from
cre-fiftA to one-seventh Of an ounce
in weight. whereas. under the Usual
methods, the sets range from three
fonrths to two ounces in weight. A
gardener, under ordinary conditions.
win get best results by using IL to IS
bushels or 900 to 1000 pounds of po-
tatoes to the acre. This method o:
preparing sets, therefore. should make
available for table use over CTS pounds
of potato flesh. which, under ordi-
nary conditions, would be planted per
acre.
To plant plot so by 100 feet, or APP
proximately one ninth of an acre, at
the same rate Of seeding would call
Tor one and two-thirds to two bushels
of seed, planted in the ordinary way.
The method of using the cones and
eyes for seed and cooking the re-
mainder Of the flesh, therefore, be-
comes worthwhile economy, even
when a 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 seeding
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 moderately cool
room (about so degrees Fahrenhei)
and allowed to remain there until they
have cured; that is, until the cut sur
face has become dry. day or two
should suffice for this, and potatoes
then should be put in shallow box or
tray and placed where 1t is still cooler.
Any storage condition that will in
sure them against frost on the one
hand and undue shriveling on the
other should prove satisfactory.
These seeds can be started indoors,
provided 1t is possible to secure suit
able soil and boxes. In such cases it
may be- desirable to plant the eye cut
tings at once, and allow them to start
into growth indoors with the idea of
transplanting them into the onen
ground when danger of frost Is past
and the ground is 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 moisture
conditions which can be preserved in
the SOIL 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 a crop.
Generally speaking. the smaller the |
size of the set, the closer It should be |
planted in the row II maximum yields |
are to be secured. Such sets may be
expected to give the best Yields II not !
spaced more than 10 to IL inches apart |
in the row.
Preparing Soil for Potatoes.
The types of soil in which the no
tato plant thrives best are those de-
signated as sandy or gravelly loan
soils. 1t may be grown with a fair
degree of success on any type of soil |
except loose sand and heavy, sticky |
clay soil. provided the land is we'll |
drained and contains the necessary
plant food.
Successful potato production Is de-
pendent to a large extent on the thor
oughness with which the land IL pre-
pared before planting the crop. Where
a horse can be used, the land should |
be plowed from s to 10 inches deep,
provided the surface soil Ia OF a suf-
ficient depth to permit 1t. 1t is never
advisable to turn up more than one.
inch of raw subsoil at any one ROW
ing, so II the previous plowin-l have
not been over six inches the maximum
depth at which it should be plowed is
seven inches.
Where hand labor is employed. the !
same rule should govern as to depth. |
In spading. especially on grass or
waste land, turn the earth bottom side
up.
Whether the land is plowed or spad-
ed. it should be thoroughly puiverized
Immediately afterwards. 1t Is a bad
practice to allow the freshly turned
90 "a hab In, ha