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Show CORKED POTATO SEED SPEEDS CROP , Cutting seed potatoes two weeks before planting and then keeping them under the right conditions to cork over will bring about earlier germination, more even growth, and increased yield, the United States department depart-ment of agriculture announces. 'Although many growers cut the seed several days before planting, the seed sometimes decays. de-cays. The department says this i. largely because the cut seed is not kept under the right conditions. con-ditions. The department found that the seed gave the best results re-sults when it was kept at a temperature tem-perature of 60 degrees faran-heit faran-heit and at a relative humidity of S7 per cent. Most farmers can easily bring the temperature of their potato storage room to the right point by using an oil stove or some other heating method. For practical purposes, if the air is fairly moist the humidity hu-midity will be about right. Putting Put-ting wet burlap bags on the floor or hanging them up help keep the air moist. The seed should be treated before cutting. After the seed potatoes are cut they may be placed in barrels or sacks until ready for planting. plant-ing. They should not be spread out, as they do not cork over properly when spread out. In tests made at the experiment experi-ment farm of the department at Arlington, Va., seed potatoes cut about two weeks before planting and properly corked over, yielded more U. S. No. 1 potatoes than the freshly cut seed. The quicker and more uniform uni-form stand from the corked over seed brought earlier maturity. This would aid growers for the early market and in the north where the potato growing season is relatively short. |
