May. 1917 



GLEANINGS T N BEE C IT I. T U R E 



391 



HIGH - PRESSURE GARDENING 



" POTATO-PLANTS " AS WELL AS CAIiBAGE AN1> 

 TOMATO PLANTS — WHY NOT? 



Aftei' my two articles on " high-pressuro " 

 potatoes (see p. 145, February, 217, Mai'cli) 

 I sent clippings of both to our Florida anil 

 Ohio experiment stations. Neither station 

 seemed to think very much of my sugges- 

 tions (and demonstration) in tlie way of 

 giving a " hungry world " jxilatoes once 

 more. Neither seemed to " catch on," or 

 at least it looks so to me. 



Let me try again. All authorities seem 

 to agree that in cutting seed potatoes we 

 should give to each sprouted piece a fairly 

 good-sized chunk of potato. This is to 

 furnish fertility to the little plant as it 

 starts out. It is like the yolk of the egg to 

 the newly hatched chick. Below is what 

 the Kilgore seed catalog says: 



In cutting the seed be sure to leave from one to 

 two good eyes and a good-sized piece of the meat, 

 not merely a piece of the potato skin. By careful 

 observation we have found that by leaving a good 

 deal of the potato with the eye a much stronger and 

 more vigorous plant will be secured. 



Now, friends, look here. At this date 

 (March 20) old potatoes are selling for a 

 dollar a peck for table use. Seed potatoes 

 to plant are probably higher still. Now, 

 what kind of economy is it to use potatoes 

 at these prices for a fertilizer for the young- 

 plant? In the Rwral New-Yorker for 

 March 10 they seem to be " coming my 

 way " a little, but evidently don't know it. 

 This is what the}- say in discussing potatoes: 



On garden scale they may be started in flats and 

 the plants transplanted like tomatoes. 



Exactly; and when you prepare the soil 

 for those '' flats," make it half or more old 

 well-rotted stable manure.* Potatoes will 

 stand richer soil than almost anything else; 

 and when you take up a plant the great 

 abundance of fibrous roots are just deter- 

 mined not to " let go " of this fertile soil 

 that just suits them — quite a contrast to 

 either cabbage or tomato plants. f Once 

 more : After you have cut out several 

 sprouts, with clinging roots, from a large 

 potato, put it back in the hot-bed or cold- 

 frame and you will get another lot a little 

 later, jiust as good as the first. Still again : 

 When the freeze came, I had some nice 

 jxitato-plantfe in the cold-frame; and as 

 soon as things " let up," out they went where 



* Here is something more clipped from the Rural : 

 " Good chicken manure will give great results on 

 potatoes when used in addition <o the dieiiicals. 

 When dropped on the hill after planting, and well 

 worked into the ground, it surely does make the 

 potato vines lay." 



t Potato-plants are easiest plants in the world to 

 make grow. No failures and no missing liills. 



potatoes had been just dug. l)u you know 

 what hapijened? Yesterday I asked our 

 grocer what he could give for some new 

 l>otatoes. " New potatoes?" said he, " why, 

 you can almost set your own i)rice. Old 

 potatoes are a dollar a peck, and there are 

 no new ones, that I know of, in all this 

 region." You see there has been no time 

 to grow them since the freeze, excejit by 

 " my invention." Do you say just now 

 things are unusual? For years joast some- 

 thing similar has occurred all over our na- 

 tion just as new potatoes began to appear. 

 Florida new potatoes were 70 cts. a peck in 

 Medina, Ohio, just about a year ago. 



When I introduced the Grand Rapids 

 lettuce, years ago, and gave it its name, 

 and sent seed to our readers, I predicted a 

 great industry for it. People laughed at 

 my enthusiasm and said, " Who wants 

 lettuce in winter timef" etc. And this re- 

 minds me to suggest to the owners of lettuce 

 greenhouses that now cover acres, wouldirt 

 ■potatoes under glass just now jiay better 

 than lettuce? Here is what our Ohio Sta- 

 tion says: 



Mr. Root: — Your letter and clipping of the 16th 

 has been referred to me for reply. In view of the 

 remarkable shortage of seed potatoes in Ohio, and 

 the probable high prices for early potatoes, we are 

 recommending that greatest care be taken with the 

 seed and in growing. Pew gardener.s will go to the 

 pains that you have, but doubtless it would pay this 

 season. Our " sun-sprouting " described on enclos- 

 ed reprint gives somewhat similar results, and is 

 thoroly practical. The old scheme of cutting out 

 the eyes, or using parings, leaving the rest for 

 eating, might almost be justified under present con- 

 ditions. S. N. Geeen, 



Wooster, Ohio, Feb. 21. Garden Assistant. 



'' TRANSPLANTING IRISH POTATOES." 



The Rural New-Yorker seems to " catch 

 on" to my "invention" (?) even if the 

 experiment stations do not. See the follow- 

 ing from the March 24th issue : 



Some one asks if it is possible to transplant po- 

 tato-plants like cabbage or tomatoes. Surely — we 

 liave often done it. In a season like this you can 

 cut off the "seed end" (which is where the sprouts 

 grow) as the potatoes are prepared for cooking. 

 This seed end may be planted in pots or lioxes or in 

 the greenhouse. They make strong plants as a 

 i-ule; and when the weather suits these can be 

 planted outdoors. We have done this several times 

 with fair success. The plan is to put them in deep 

 farrows. In case of a frost the soil may l.e hoed 

 or plowed up over them for protection, and raked 

 off when danger is past. Y'ou gain ten days or so 

 with the crop by doing this. Some market garden- 

 ers practice this on a large scale, but it will not pay 

 unle.ss labor is cheap. 



Today, March 27, we commence selling 

 new potatoes once more since the freeze — 



