1380 The Vegetable Industry in New Yoek State 



treat as much seed as it will cover, and may be used again and 

 again. A convenient way is to place the tubers in a sack and 

 suspend it in a barrel or tub of water. After the requisite time 

 of soaking it can be raised up, and the solution will drain back 

 on the vessel, and the potatoes be dry to handle. Both of the above 

 disinfectants are poison and should be handled with care. Where 

 a large quantity of seed is to be treated, the above method takes a 

 great deal of time. 



Much advice has been given as to how small a piece of potato 

 to plant. No one can lay down any ironclad rule, but the under- 

 lying principle must be taken into account. From the stand- 

 point of economy, one cannot ordinarily afford to plant whole 

 potatoes, and one too small to cut is too small to plant. The 

 number of eyes in the seed piece depends on the type of potato, 

 and the condition of the soil in which it is planted. Two strong 

 eyes are enough, if they grow. The flesh about the eye sustains 

 it until it can root and be sustained in the ground. A potato 

 of the Early Rose type, with many eyes, will have less llesh 

 about four or five eyes than one of the Rural type, with a few 

 eyes, will have about one or two. Hence, the latter can be 

 safely cut to a less number of eyes than the former. If the 

 soil is moist and fertile, the roots will obtain a feeding place 

 much sooner than if it is dry, hard and sterile. This, too, must 

 determine the size and number of eyes. 



DEPTH OF PLANTING 



The potato requires coolness and moisture. If the planting is 

 shallow it means, sooner or later, heat and dryness. Hence, 

 rather deep planting, 4 or 5 inches, is to be recommended, be- 

 cause it is according to the law of the plant. Xo one ever saw 

 the tubers form much below the seed piece. Planted shallow, 

 they must of necessity form near the surface. To prevent dry- 

 ing and burning, they must then be ridged up with earth taken 

 from between the rows, cutting off many feeding roots, and 

 leaving a cone-shaped hill which sheds water, and a depression 

 which carries the rainfall to the lowest part of the field, where 

 it is least needed. When planted deep, the tubers have a chance 

 to form in the more moist soil, little ridging is necessary, and 



