WAY OF GROWING POTATOES 



83 



WHERE TO SPROUT POTATOES 



In practice, with the early varieties of potatoes it is 

 well to let the shoots make a growth of about i inch, 

 covering them up with straw for that purpose, and 

 keeping them in a fairly warm temperature, say, in a 

 loft over cattle, until this size of shoot is obtained. 

 Then every day the windows and doors of the loft 

 should be opened, and the straw removed so as to 

 expose the shoots to the light. The shoots will then 



Here is the type of sprouting-rack used on 

 Mr. Wibberley's tann. 



turn green, get very strong, and stand a lot of knocking 

 about. 



In the case of early potatoes, where the hardening-up 

 process is being carried out in early spring, it may be 

 desirable to cover them up with straw at night to ward 

 off any danger from frost. 



Now, in the case of the late varieties, the trouble will 

 be to keep the potatoes from making too great a growth 

 of sprout by the time they are planted. From the fore- 

 going it will be deduced that the plan to be followed 

 with " lates '* is to store them in a cold place, and, 

 except in very frosty weather, to admit light and air 

 throughout the entire winter and spring. 



