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SECTION V. 



SEED. 

 Management of Seed. 



The management of the seed or small tubers set 

 apart for seed purposes is a matter of importance. It 

 is advisable to separate the seed from the ware or 

 marketable portion of the crop at the time the 

 potatoes are dug. In this way they are brought under 

 easy control to be dealt with subsequently. The 

 price realised for very early potatoes occasionally 

 induces growers to send everything ware, seeds, and 

 chats to market, but as a rule the seeds and chats are 

 retained. When dug the seed should be allowed to 

 dry before being pitted, but if risk from frost is 

 entailed by leaving them exposed during night they 

 should be gathered up and pitted on the day they are 

 dug, even though they are somewhat moist ; but they 

 should be closely watched, so that in the event of 

 excessive fermentation setting up they may be turned. 



Seed of early varieties should be turned during 

 autumn or before winter. It may be necessary to 

 turn it very shortly after it is dug, or it may not 

 require turning until Christmas. Whenever the seed 

 forms part of a crop in which there was disease at the 

 time of digging it should be looked over within a few 



