aS 
27 
As there is generally a superabundance of food 
material, it is possible to divide a tuber into several pieces, 
and provided each piece has enough food material and a 
sound “eye,” it will produce a new plant. It has been 
found by practice that when cut for “sets” the pieces near 
the “rose” end give the best results. When a potato is 
divided up in this way it is necessary to leave the separate 
pieces spread out to dry before they are planted, so that 
they may form a protective layer before coming in con- 
tact with the soil, the bacteria of which might cause them 
to decay. 
Recent] y a method of raising new potatoes in the dark 
has received prominence in the press, and in many quarters 
erroneous views have been formed concerning this mode 
of cultivation. It has been thought by some that potato 
plants could grow like mushrooms and were not dependent 
upon light for their full development. This is very far 
from being the truth. Of course it is well known that 
potato tubers will sprout in the dark, as they do indeed 
in nature underground, but they are only able to grow 
without light while there is still a supply of food material 
in the old tuber upon which they can draw for their 
development. When that is exhausted the plants must 
inevitably die, as without lhght they are like all green 
plants unable to manufacture new organic material. It 
has however been found by experiment that if tubers are 
then half buried in fine dry soil spread out on a table 
in the cellar, they will soon be surrounded by a crop of 
small new potatoes close up to the old tubers. Large 
tubers should be used for this method of cultivation, and 
they should be placed three or four inches apart. It must 
of course be remembered that these small new potatoes 
are produced entirely at the expense of the food material 
stored in the old potato. We are therefore by this method 
of cultivation not increasing the food supply of the 
country but merely replacing old potatoes by a crop of 
more palatable new ones. 
Bulbs and corms, which are the vegetative methods of 
reproduction of many members of the Lily and Iris 
Families, must be looked upon as specialised underground 
buds, which by virtue of their store of food material are 
able to lead an existence independent of the plants on 
which they have been produced. Like the ordinary winter 
buds of a tree, such as the horse-chestnut, they are pro- 
