190 



Bulletin 228. 



The sprouts on all those exposed to light were strong, dark green, 

 short, not over h to f of an inch long. On those from the cellar 

 they were three to four inches long, whitish and brittle and would 

 be hkely to be broken off in planting. If the planting is to be done 

 by machinerv\ the tubers should not be exposed to light and warmth 

 as long as were those in this experiment, as the sprouts, though 

 strong and vigorous, were too long to escape injury if handled care- 

 lessly. Probably fifteen to twenty days' exposure is more suitable. 

 If the cellars or other usual places of storage will not hold the seed 

 practically dormant till within two weeks of planting time, then cold 

 storage should be resorted to if within reach, or the seed tubers may 

 be stored in pits in the field and by proper management kept dor- 

 mant till it is desired to expose them preparatory to planting. What- 

 ever method of handling seed tubers is practiced, it is important that 

 they shall not be weakened by premature sprouting in darkness. 



Preparation of Scabby Seed for Planting. If the tubers are affected 

 with seal), even slightly, they should be treated before planting. 

 To kill the scab spores, soak the tubers one and one-half or two 

 hours in one pint of formalin diluted by twenty-five or thirty gallons 

 of water. Contained in gunny sacks or- crates, they may be lowered 

 into the preparation and after the requisite time lifted out and 

 allowed to drain. Then spread them out to tlry in the shade, after 

 which they may be cut for planting as usual. 



Cutting. In Farmers' Bulletin No. 35, Professor Duggar summa- 

 rizes the results secured in a large number of experiments at many 

 stations as to the proper size of seed pieces. Some of his conclusions 

 follow: 



" Experiments indicate that it is more important to cut the tubers 

 into compact pieces of nearly uniform size than to so shape the 



