S76 [Senate 



Hundreds of plans have been proposed, but it would be worse than 

 useless to enter into a lengthened detail of them, as all of the success- 

 ful ones are modifications of the above, or are only calculated for em- 

 ployment on a small scale. 



Query 24. — What precautions would you adopt in preparing the seed 

 in spring 1 



Under this query I cannot do better than give the answer of Mr. 

 Gardiner^ which unites almost all of the precautions recommended, 

 with an improvement of his own. He says : " I endeavor as much as 

 possible to prevent the starting into growth, of the tubers, by turning 

 them in a coal shed until wanted for planting, carefully hand picking, 

 and retaining only those for seed which are free from spot or blemish ; 

 having none of the eyes, blind, and of middle size. When required 

 for planting, the tubers are cut into large setts, with from two to three 

 eyes in each, rejecting all those cuts which, from the dullness of the 

 color of the eyes and skin, appear to be deficient in vigor to produce 

 a perfectly healthy shoot. As the cutting of the sets goes on, sprinkle 

 the cuts freely with roasted gypsum in powder, or use sulphuric or 

 muriatic acid, diluted with water in the proportion of one pound of acid 

 to four gallons of water. With this sprinkle the cuts till they are all 

 wetted over, then sift dry new slaked lime over them, which will com- 

 pletely dry them up, and coat them over with the lime ; plant them 

 immediately. Sets, so prepared with the acid, I have found to start 

 earlier and more vigorously into growth, resisting the effect of disease 

 in a greater degree than by any other method I have tried." 



All unite in recommending the sprinkling of the setts with slaked 

 lime or gypsum. Many think it better to cut the seed a month or two 

 before planting ; one man has gone so far as to publish a book, called 

 " The Potato Problem solved ;" in which he says the whole cause of 

 the disease lies in the cutting of the seed potatoes in the spring, imme- 

 diately before planting. He contends that the proper time is in the 

 autumn. 



Many of the farmers think that contact with fresh manure is injuri- 

 ous, and are manuring their potato fields this autumn. 



Query 25. — Have any cases occurred in your neighborhood in which 

 the use of diseased potatoes has been injurious to animal life. 



