70 THE POTATO. 



amounted to 25 per cent, over that from the unboxed and 

 unsprouted tubers. Some of the tubers were boxed in 

 the autumn arid others in February and March. The De- 

 partment remarks: " The chief advantage of sprouting is 

 that a few weeks' growth is secured in the boxes before 

 the seed is planted. Consequently if the two kinds of 

 seed are planted about the same time, the crop from the 

 sprouted seed is ready for lifting several weeks before that 

 of the unsprouted seed. Again, if a farmer has seed 

 sprouted, arid the soil is wet and cold or the conditions un- 

 favourable, he may delay planting for a time. Further, 

 on freshly -tilled land the sprouted potatoes make such an 

 extremely rapid growth as smothers the weeds for the 

 whole season. 



Another advantage gained by sprouting is that the first 

 bud is preserved, and the plant is therefore more vigorous 

 throughout the season, whereas with unboxed seed the 

 first bud when it exists is tender and usually gets broken 

 off." 



Boxes for Storing: and Sprouting The illus- 

 trations on p. 71 show a suitable form of box for the 

 above purpose. The box is handy for lifting about, and, 

 as a considerable number can be piled upon each other, 

 large quantities of potatoes can be stored in a compara- 

 tively small space. The most useful size is 27 inches long, 

 18 inches wide, and 3J inches deep. The sides and ends 

 should be formed with deal f-inch in thickness, and the 

 bottom with J-inch deal 2 inches wide, and fixed 1 

 inch apart. The uprights and the crosspieces forming the 

 handles should be of deal, 1 inch square, and the former 

 should be screwed to the sides, and screws should be used 

 in fastening the crosspieces. As shown, the boxes can 

 be stood one upon the other without excluding 

 the light, or interfering with the free circulation of the air, 

 a point of great importance in the case of potatoes for plant- 

 ing. On page 72 is represented another form of box, which 

 may be made as follows: The measurements are 2ft. long, 



