Rural School Leaflet 909 



tip of the potato than the eye? The potato is a thickened stem, and if 

 we stand it upright like an erect stem would the " eyebrows " be above 

 or below the eyes? Are there leaves on the potato stem just below each 

 bud? Can you see how the little scale forming the " eyebrow " corre- 

 sponds to the leaf in the axil to which a potato grows? 



5. Find a long potato, place pins in each of the eyes, and connect the 

 pins spirally with a string. How does this show that the buds on the 

 potato, which is an underground stem, are arranged just as are the buds 

 on the stem of the potato above ground? 



6. Plant a whole potato in a pot and keep it warm and watered and 

 in the light. After a time examine it. Do the buds in all of the eyes 

 start to grow? Do those toward the base or the tip of the potato grow? 

 How do the shoots look? 



7 . Cut out a single eye with a section of the potato attached, and plant 

 it. After the shoot appears pull it up. Describe where the root came 

 from. 



8. What becomes of the seed potato as the plant grows? Why do we 

 have to sprout potatoes that we keep in the cellar? If the sprouts begin 

 to grow in the cellar, do they grow toward the light? Why? 



9. How long does it take a potato crop to grow? On what kind of 

 soil does it grow best? How many bushels grew in the United States in 

 one year, as shown by the last census? 



10. How many potatoes grow on an acre in your locality? What is 

 the highest rate per acre on record? 



11. Describe the leaves of the potato plant. How many stems come 

 from the same root? 



12. Describe the flower of the potato vine. If you have ever seen the 

 potato seed-balls, describe them. Of what use are the seed balls? 



13. Write an essay on the history of the potato, paying particular 

 attention to the part this plant has played in the history of Europe. 



HOW TO GROW POTATOES 



A. W. Gilbert 



The successful growth of potatoes, as of any other crop, is based on 

 certain laws that must be obeyed. The oversight of any one factor may 

 mean failure. The potato is a plant that docs not seem to have the power 

 to adapt itself successfully to adverse conditions. 



Soil. — The best soil for potatoes is a sandy loam, well drained but 

 supplied with an ample amount of water. If the soil is not good, it must 

 be improved by means of plowing, cultivating, fertilizing, and the' like. 



The more perfect the conditions surrounding the potato plant, the 

 better work it will do. The first thing to find out is whether the soil 



