i6 



Potato Growing. 



[APRIL, 



of opinion as to the best size of seed to plant ; some prefer large 

 tubers, whilst others assert that equally good results will be 

 obtained from small ones. Now, in discussing their cropping 

 capabilities, two kinds of small potatoes must be considered : 

 first, the late-formed tubers of strong, robust plants ; secondly, 

 the produce of plants of low vitality. If the bulk of the 

 seed consists of the former, then quite satisfactory returns will 

 be got, as the tubers are small simply on account of their 

 having had insufficient time to reach full size ; the remainder of 

 the seed, however, will be small potatoes, the stunted produce 

 of weakling plants, and from such only weakling tubers can 

 be expected, practically all of which will fall into the seed 

 class. Whilst it may be possible, therefore, to obtain a good 

 crop the first year from small seed, owing to the likelihood of 

 its being made up largely of tubers formed late in the season, 

 the chances are that if seed from the same stock be used for a 

 number of years in succession, there will be an ever-increasing 

 proportion of the produce of weakling tubers, with the result 

 that the returns will become more and more unsatisfactory. 



Experiments show that, as sets, whole tubers about the size 

 of a hen's egg generally prove the most profitable. Should the 

 supply of whole seed run short it is unwise to make good the 

 deficiency by cutting seed-size tubers. No reduction in yield, 

 however, need be feared from sets obtained by cutting bigger 

 tubers. With this class of cut sets the weight planted per acre 

 may be considerably greater than when seed-size potatoes are 

 planted whole, but, on the other hand, the produce will generally 

 contain a less proportion of "small" than the produce of whole 

 seed. 



Planting should be done soon after cutting, and the sets 

 covered with as little delay as possible. Exposure even during 

 the dinner hour may be sufficient to reduce materially the yield 

 from cut sets. 



Liming the Cttt Surface. — When, however, seed has to be 

 prepared some days in advance of planting, the tubers, as soon 

 as cut, should be dipped into finely-powdered lime. The effect 

 of the lime is to form a " scab " over the wet surface of the set, 

 which prevents, or, at any rate, considerably retards, evaporation 

 of moisture. 



