1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



309 



many gooseberries that have borne crops for a 

 couple of years were now clear out, with their 

 roots in the air. Of course, we can dig a hole 

 and plant them where they used to stand; but 

 they have been greatly injured if not killed 

 outright. Some kind of mulching would have 

 saved all this; and I am more firmly deter- 

 mined than ever before that I will adopt Terry's 

 plan with raspberries, blackberries, gooseber- 

 ries, and currants, not only mulching the ground 

 with straw or something else so as to keep down 

 the weeds but to protect from frost, and just 

 now I am better pleased with potato-tops than 

 any thing else in the world; and as the Craig 

 Seedling produces a greater amount of tops than 

 any other potato, this will be one reason for 

 planting them. I have never tried potato-vines 

 as a mulch in fruiting time to keep the berries 

 out of the dirt, but I am sure it will answer, 

 and they will soon rot down, after picking, and 

 make a valuable humus for the soil. 



Now. lest you come to the conclusion that my 

 decision may be influenced by the fact that the 

 Craig potato is o( my Introducing . to oSset the 

 above I want to tell you some" of its faults. 

 First, it is a red potato, or on the reddish order. 

 Second, it has very deep eyes. Third, it is not 

 of the very best qualitv — that is, it is not equal 

 to the Freeman and New Queen in the fall of 

 the year; but for a winter and spring potato, 

 especially the latter, it is almost equal to any 

 for table use: and on our grounds it is certainly 

 away ahead of every thing in that class of pota- 

 toes represented by the Rural New Yorker No. 2. 



month of time in coming out of the ground and to 

 maturity; and he adds that tbe preparation of the 

 seed must bo viewed as of primary importance; that 

 is, together- with the selection of a suitable and 

 well-manured piece of ground, forms the only se- 

 cret of success in the culture of the early potato. 



PREPARING SEED POTATOES FOB PLANTING ; THE 

 WAY THEY DO IT ON THE ISLAND OF .JERSEY. 



A.',singlc chapter from the 'pamphlet now in press, en- 

 titled. "Potato Culture on the Island of Jersey." 



From the last*' potatoes harvested, the seed is 

 saved. From an eighth to a tenth of tlie whole crop 

 is thus reserved. Middle-sized tubers are selected, 

 from two to three inclies in length. Tliese are sot 

 on end in shallow boxes, or trays — the eye. or seea 

 end, up. The trays are made according to individ- 

 ual taste, usually of about tlie following dimensions: 

 Of light V« or ■'>a inch .stuff; are 3 feet (or a little 

 more) long, 1 foot wide, 3% inches deep, with a han- 

 dle across the long way, about 6 inches above the 

 bottom. They are so made that they can be stacked 

 in piles, and meanwhile their contents be wholly 

 exposed to light and air. The uprights and handles, 

 etc., are necessarily stout. When the potatoes are 

 on end in these trays they are wholly exposed to the 

 light and air. and do not press upon or .scarcely 

 touch each other, and touch the trays only at the 

 stem end. The trays, when filled fwith about twenty 

 pounds), are set in a light place, often in the sun, 

 for a few days, but usually in an open shed, and are 

 allowed to remain thus exposed till they become 

 hardened by the light and air— often till they are 

 tough and green; as tlie rule seems to be, the 

 tougher the better. Later on they are set in stacks 

 on the floor of the loft over the cow stable, or in the 

 barn, where large windows admit plenty of light. 

 The temperature is kept cool, and thus they remain 

 till the day of planting. The trays are moved from 

 time to time so that those beneath may be brought 

 to the top: but the potatoes are not moved. The 

 purpose of this curing i)rocess ^s to check the weak 

 sprouts and to concentrate all the energy of the 

 tuber into two or three strong shoots at the seed 

 end. The result is, that each tuber at planting time 

 has two or three sprouts of great strength at the 

 tip of the seed end, instead of a dozen weak ones all 

 over the surface. So deeply and strongly are these 

 sprouts attached, that we have seen potatoes picked 

 up and whirled about by them, as though they were 

 the elastic of a toy ball. If there were a dozen 

 sprouts from as many eyes, each would be weak and 

 easily V)roken ofif. as is the case when potatoes are 

 stored in heaps or in dark places. The toughening 

 of the tuber by Sim and air prevents the breaking- 

 out of sprouts evi-ept at the right time and in the 

 right number, and makes those that do break out 

 intensely vigorous. Mr. Le Cornu, before quoted, 

 said that seed thus prepared gains at least one 



STORING-TRAY FOR SEED POTATOES. 



We .shall have to expl.ain to our readers, that, by mistake, the 

 above engraving is made much too tall; tor you will see by 

 the description above that the tray is only 2>i; inches deep; 

 the handle of the tray should come just high enough up to 

 clear the potatoes. These trays may then be stacked one 

 .above another, as high as need "be. Of course, the idea is to 

 have them light and strong. 



This placing of the seed in trays, and never touch- 

 ing with hand or shovel till the time of planting, is 

 a great economy in labor, in handling and in sort- 

 ing, and also in keepmg the tubers unbruised and 

 in perfect condition. There is now no diversity of 

 opinion in Jersey as to the manner of curing the 

 seed. 



Potatoes for seed are now universally set on end, 

 eyes up in shallow trays; are exposed to strong light 

 and free air till tough in flesh, and are then stored 

 in well-lighted lofts till the day of planting, when 

 they are carried directly to the field and set in the 

 drills. Out of this tough flesh, and through this 

 leathery rind, burst a few strong shoots, and into 

 them goes the energy of the whole tuber. This 

 gives great gain in the time of growth, in the size 

 and uniformity of the fruit, and in the immimity of 

 the whole plant from disease, because ot its vigor. 



The impression, as one watches the planting of 

 the potato-sets, is that of planting young trees— the 

 sprouts are so vigorous, so well bunched at the tip 

 of the tuber, and so carefully set in the drill. This 

 process necessitates whole tubers for seed: and af- 

 ter every kind of experiment, the universal practice 

 for many years has been to plant only whole seed. 

 Now and then, where a farmer is compelled by lack 

 of the middle sizes, he cuts very large tubers care- 

 fully into halves through the seed end, giving two 

 sprouts to each half, but this is not a matter of 

 choice. Seed potatoes are now and then brought in 

 from England and France in order to keep up the 

 size and vigor of the plant 



From thirty to forty bushels of seed per acre are 

 planted— as much often put into the ground in seed 

 as is taKen out by the American farmer in crop. 

 The Jersey fai'mer considers the Jersey mode of 

 curing and keeping the seed-sets, as above described, 

 the main secret of liis success — but there is no pat- 

 ent on the process. 



This arrangement will come in most beauti- 

 fully this spring, on account of the low prices 

 on almost all sorts of potatoes. Don't worry 

 any more about keeping your potatoes in a 

 cold cellar until time to plant. Put them in 

 shallow trays, according to the directions giv- 

 en above, and store them where it is both light 

 and warm, and let them sprout all they have a 

 mind to. I may say this thing is not entirely 

 new. I have raised potatoes more or less for 

 many years, something this way. setting them 

 out as I would cabbage plants, after all danger 

 of frost is over. The trouble was. I got them 

 just right, only where they were picked off from 



