FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
123 
European experiments as to its value on 
sour soils, and also the results at the 
Ohio Experiment Station. 
These patches were planted January 
25, and dug May 3, when about half 
grown. Vines were once frosted to the 
ground, underwent a long, excessively 
wet spell, and grew in a very backward 
season. 
SEED. 
For seed, the No. 4 Rose is a decided 
favorite. It is used at the rate of from 
three to five barrels per acre. Other 
things being equal, the larger the seed 
piece, the earlier, thriftier and hardier 
the plant. This difference is particu¬ 
larly noticeable in a bad season. It is 
best that the plant should grow from the 
first sprout out of an eye. Potatoes hav¬ 
ing white sprouts long enough to break 
off, or that have had these sprouts re¬ 
moved, are not first-class seed. 
Personally, I cut to size of seed piece, 
whether it has one eye on it or four; 
and I always try to split the cluster of 
eyes at the bud end, so as not to have so 
many on a piece, and also because these 
eyes make the earliest potatoes if backed 
by a proper chunk of potato. People 
who cut to one eye or two eyes almost 
invariably cut too small as they near the 
bud end. If the bud eyes have not their 
share of potato, they are handicapped. 
Regularity in size of seed piece is an aid 
to uniformity of crop. The eye at the 
stem is least useful of all. There is yet 
another way of insuring a stand of po¬ 
tatoes. Potatoes exposed to a strong 
light or even exposed to the winter sun 
until they green and start dark, strong, 
stubby shoots are nearly indestructible 
when planted, and are early and prolific 
growers. This treatment is said to kill 
what scab germs there are on the po¬ 
tato. 
Cutting seed is not a job for cheap 
labor, nor should potatoes of doubtful 
vigor or bad shape go into the seed 
pile. 
For cutting large potatoes, that at¬ 
tractively advertised curved-bladed knife 
is a positive disadvantage. It does good 
work in very close cutting and in cutting 
long slender potatoes full of eyes. A 
medium sized thin-bladed knife is usually 
best. The ideal striven after in cutting 
is a chunky piece, having as little cut sur¬ 
face as possible, and the eye placed as 
near the center as possible. 
The experience of the Cornell Experi¬ 
ment Station and a number of others is 
that the sooner a cut potato goes into 
the ground the Tetter. There is no gain 
and possibly no loss in carrying cut seed 
some days. But there is danger of 
spoiling, through heating; and the cut 
seed freezes easily if cold comes. Cut 
seed had best be spread thinly until 
wanted, if the delay is a matter of days. 
A careful man can use a machine cut¬ 
ter to advantage on seed full of eyes, 
and of the Early Rose type. I should 
hardly care to use it on the No. 4 Rose. 
I want every seed piece a good one, and 
a plant every foot in the furrow. It 
pays. 
PLANTING. 
The ridge is split open for planting 
and the seed piece dropped on what 
would be the normal level of the ground 
or a little higher. If dropped by hand, 
it is covered with a disc cultivator. This 
leaves the seed piece in the center of a 
well-stirred ridge, about three to five 
