Vol. LXIV. No. 2902. NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 9, 1905. 
WEEKLY, fl.00 PEK YEAR 
HANDLING SEED POTATOES IN FLORIDA. 
I have just ordered some very fine and costly Irish pota¬ 
toes as seed to plant for Winter crop, and am anxious not to 
raise diseased tubers, and to make as good success as possi¬ 
ble wiih (hem, as I wish to use this crop after (hey arc 
harvested in November for seed to plant in December for 
early Spring crop. So I write you, as best practical author¬ 
ity I know of, to answer the following questions: After 
receiving (he northern-grown seed po(atoes and cutting them, 
would you advise placing them spread out in sun to green, 
or would it he best to green them in sun and then cut? As 
soon as cut, would you advise sprinkling well-slaked lime 
over cut pieces? Would you advise after above is done to 
soak them in a solution of two ounces corrosive sublimate 
mixed in 15 gallons water for l l /j hour, planting imme¬ 
diately? Would it he a more certain way to bed them (after 
above is done), and mulch bed with leaves, watering till they 
begin to sprout, and then plant? J. s. c. 
Dade Co., Florida. 
We grow our seed in Virginia, Massachusetts and 
Maine. For best results vve think they should be shipped 
here December 1 sure, and then spread out thin in 
some partially lighted room, from two to four weeks. 
We do not cut till we are ready to plant, and then 
sprinkle with land plaster. 
We have no trouble with the 
seed sprouting that is grown 
as far north as Massachu¬ 
setts, but the Virginia seed 
wants more time and light. 
We usually plant at Hastings 
about first week to last week 
in January, so you see the 
seed coming here first of De¬ 
cember will want to be spread 
pretty thin, or sprouts will 
become too tender and white, 
but with the seed only one 
layer deep and plenty of light 
they will come very stubbed 
and strong. I would not cut 
on any account till ready to 
plant. G. w. L. 
Hastings, Fla. 
Your reader will have no 
trouble to keep his potatoes 
from November until Decem¬ 
ber ; I can keep potatoes from 
April until Christmas. I 
have done so by putting them 
under the house, a dark, dry 
and cool place, with plenty of 
ventilation. Do not advise 
your reader to depend on 
home-grown seed for his 
main or Spring crop; it will 
not do well. Our experience is to save seed from 
Spring to plant in the Fall, but always get northern 
grown for Spring crop. It will not be necessary to 
sprout the seed, except in case of cool and wet weather, 
delaying planting. He could sprout them by cutting 
the seed and spreading out evenly on barn floor, cover¬ 
ing lightly with sand one inch thick, and keeping moist. 
I have had potatoes up in three days in this way. This 
will insure a better stand. f. r. v. 
Leon Co., Fla. 
In planting potatoes in this section we prefer to 
cut them merely long enough before planting to dry 
the cut, which may be hastened, planting a few hours 
after cutting by using lime or plaster on them. We 
have no experience in bedding the potatoes to sprout 
for planting; in our light soil we have had no trouble 
in getting them up in good time. We would prefer get¬ 
ting our seed from the North at planting time and 
putting them in at once. a. l. h. 
Orange Co., Fla. 
November-dug potatoes will hardly sprout in Decem¬ 
ber following, so would have same dug and shipped as 
early as possible. They can be shipped in well-ventil¬ 
ated barrels. Harden or blue on arrival by exposure 
to light or sunshine; if planting time is at hand and 
you are in a hurry re-barrel and confine in a close 
place to make them sprout. If scabby treat for same 
and sulphur (I have never used lime), cutting to one 
or two eyes and planting at once. If soil is at all wet 
be sure to cover lightly, or they will be sure to rot; 
more soil can be added later when up. The trench 
system by horse culture pays best here. We make about 
200 pounds per acre. On account of convenience in 
hauling we prefer to ship in bushel boxes. We can 
then also pack in cars with tomatoes or egg plants in 
cases. The eastern market, however, prefers barrels. 
This experience pertains strictly-to extreme southern 
Florida, where it seldom freezes the most tender vege¬ 
tation. w. w. 
Miami, Fla. 
The existing conditions of the weather at the time 
that the seed arrives have much to do with the treat¬ 
ment. The tendency to rot is the worst trouble with 
seed that arrive in the early part of October. They 
are often overheated on the way. or in warehouse after 
arrival. Spreading in a shady airy place and treating 
with lime will do some good. I would not spread seed 
in the sun unless on cool or cloudy day, either in cut 
or uncut condition, but if spread in half shade or two- 
thirds shade for a day or two, both before and after 
cutting, before planting would help prevent rotting and 
promote sprouting. The best results come from cut¬ 
ting in large pieces and leaving the small potatoes un¬ 
cut. As stable manure is a very necessary stimulant 
for Winter-grown potatoes some treat the seed with 
corrosive sublimate to prevent scab. I would hold the 
seed in the shade till the weather conditions were right 
if I had to wait a month for the main crop. The ground 
may be too dry and hot, or too wet and cold. When 
prairie land is in the best condition then pine land is 
not at all fit to plant in, and the opposite is also true. 
By watering them under leaves one might get them 
sprouted at a wrong time of suitable climatic condi¬ 
tions for planting. When the conditions are right po¬ 
tato growing is both pleasant and profitable, as there 
are no Potato bugs and our Winter crop can be used 
during our tourist season from January to April. 
Dade Co., Fla. w. A. h. hobbs. 
Seed should be placed under a shed or some pro¬ 
tected spot, and covered carefully with clean sacks or 
leaves. Be sure to cover it sufficiently to stand a 
temperature of 15 degrees below freezing. About five 
weeks before planting remove the cover and spread 
the tubers out so they are fully exposed to the light 
(not the direct rays of the sun). Cut the tubers about 
two days before planting, and place them in a dry 
place so as to allow a formation of “callus” before 
planting. Medium-size tubers are more desirable than 
large ones. Sprinkling staked lime over the moist cut 
surface of the tuber is an excellent practice. Remove 
at once all tubers showing the least sign of rot. I 
am of the opinion that you would lose most of your 
seed if you watered it in the bed. F. M. rolfs. 
Florida Exp. Station. 
A GERMAN ON THE PARCELS POST. 
Your article on parcels post interested me very much, 
as I have often wondered why this branch of the Post 
Office Department was neglected in this country, when in 
Germany, my native country, 
this branch proved such con¬ 
venience to the people and 
so remunerative to the gov¬ 
ernment. I think the fault 
is that our representatives in 
Congress are mostly lawyers, 
and the heads of departments 
men of political but not busi¬ 
ness training. I myself had 
an interesting experience: 
years ago in Washington 
which speaks for itself. Sou¬ 
venir postal cards and pri¬ 
vate mailing cards furnished 
a considerable income to the 
German postal department, 
and thinking that by intro¬ 
ducing this branch of com¬ 
munication in this country 
a nice business could be de¬ 
veloped, I went to the Post¬ 
master General and laid the 
case before him. I was re¬ 
ferred to the fourth associate 
postmaster, and a more ri¬ 
diculous argument objecting 
to a one-cent postage for pri¬ 
vate mailing cards I never 
heard or would have imag¬ 
ined. “It would diminish the 
letter postage.” My argument 
that no one would ever write on a postal card any¬ 
thing that one wanted to keep secret was of no avail, 
and as the postal cards of the Government were more 
blotting paper than anything else, I offered to furnish 
free to the Government the paper for that particular 
kind of postal cards, but this also was refused, and I 
gave up in disgust. To-day the private mailing cards 
and souvenir postal cards are quite an item in the re¬ 
ceipts of the post office. Certainly it would hurt the 
express office if the Government would install a parcels 
post, but it would benefit the population in general to a 
large extent. Just hammer away and some time we will 
have a Postmaster General who will side with the peo¬ 
ple, and we will get it. 
As to your praiseworthy endeavor to weed out dis¬ 
honest concerns who defraud the farmers, I would like 
to say that we have hundreds of old reliable firms in 
this country who are honest and square in their deal¬ 
ings, and farmers should stick to them, and not try 
to buy something for nothing on the “get-rich-quick” 
plan. But you know yourself that it is a weakness of 
the people in this country to get something for nothing. 
Good things cost money, and as it costs much work to 
get money on % farm, a farmer ought to be very care- 
MAKING APPLE BUTTER ON A MARYLAND FARM. Fig. 278. See Page 664. 
