THE POTATO 447 



or seven inches deep and twenty-seven inches 

 apart. The potatoes are dropped by hand twelve 

 inches apart and covered with a horse plow. This 

 plow has a special form for splitting the ridge and 

 covering two rows of potatoes at the same time. 



I consider his seed work, seed storage, and hand- 

 ling the remarkable part of his system and 

 methods. He is without exception using par- 

 tially grown or partially matured seed. The po- 

 tatoes that are lifted in July are kept over until 

 the next March for planting. He claims that he 

 gets less disease than when lifted at maturity, the 

 potato throws out a less number of sprouts when 

 planted, it makes a more vigorous growth, and the 

 sprout is stronger. Consequently the crop ripens 

 earlier: 



As soon as cold weather approaches in October 

 the potatoes are taken out of the pits and stored in 

 trays of various sizes. These are from fifteen by 

 twenty-four inches to twenty by thirty inches, and 

 about three inches deep, with corner posts six 

 inches high, so that it makes an air space of about 

 three inches for the circulation of air between the 

 layers of potatoes. These trays are corded up to 

 the ceiling in the seed potato storage buildings. 

 These buildings are enormously large and eigh- 

 teen and twenty feet high. They are made frost- 

 proof, with a large part of the roof of glass, so as 

 to give an abundance of light, to keep the potato 

 from developing sprouts. Then when they want 

 them to develop sprouts, the rooms are darkened. 

 When one or two white, tender, delicate sprouts 

 appear at the seed end, these potatoes are 

 taken out into the sun and weather. This must 

 be done a sufficient time before planting so that 

 the sprouts become green and tough to withstand 



