Propagation 65 



added "without raising the level of the bed too high 

 above that of the surrounding ground, under no cir- 

 cumstances should the bed level be lov?er than the 

 general land contour. The general practice is to make 

 an excavation 5 or 6 inches deep, 5 or 6 feet v?ide and 

 as long as is needed for the quantity of potatoes to be 

 bedded. About 4 inches of clean sand is placed in this 

 excavation. The tubers are put on top of this sand 

 as close together as possible without touching, after 

 which they are covered with 2 inches of sand. This bed 

 is kept damp by sprinkling daily until the plants appear. 

 As soon as the young shoots may be seen, another inch 

 of sand should be added to insure the development of 

 a vigorous root system. The importan'ce of using pure 

 sand in the seed-bed cannot be over-emphasized. The 

 practice sometimes followed of placing the tubers on 

 top of a thin layer of manure is unjustified. The 

 sprouts grow from noaterial stored in the potatoes and 

 rich soil is not required, l^pt only is manure unneces- 

 sary (except in the sub-layer for bottom heat) but it is 

 a carrier of disease. Pure sand about the potatoes is 

 most certain to produce a large crop of strong, healthy, 

 well-rooted plants. Such a bed may be covered with 

 straw, hay or leaves to protect it from cold early in the 

 season. Old burlap sacks are also sometimes used for 

 this purpose. Such cjoverings may be valuable in pre- 

 venting too rapid drying out of the surface. 



Coldframes. 



Some of the largest commercial plant-growers in the 

 South and Southwest grow their slips in glass and can- 

 vas-covered coldframes. When potatoes are produced 

 as an early truck crop, some means of protection so 



