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Show "ROOFING"A POTATO PATCH" Montana Man Evolves Method of Growing Tubers In Sixty Days. Great Falls, Mont. A half-bushel ol sawdust, a dash of chemical solution and Id potatoes carefully enveloped with tho snwdust will euablo tho aver-ngo aver-ngo householder to grow a bushol of tubers ou hi housetop or in his cellar cel-lar within W -Jays. This process has been dlncovered and elaborated by V. D. Daret, of this. place. Moreover, tho grower will havo no contest with gnu worms. Tho product of Mr. Oarst's process ts termed "vlncless potato," from the Tact that, grown under theso apparent-'.y apparent-'.y unnatural conditions, thcro Is no wrfuto vocetutlon. llecatiso of this ;ach potato burled In tho sawdust Is Miablcd to produce at least 12 normal-sized normal-sized tubortt. Tho other day nt tho Oakland p!a.a, In tho rear ot tho Oakland hotel, Mr. Darst disclosed tho methods of growing grow-ing potatoes by his system. Operating Operat-ing ou tho theory thnt the presence of jurfaco vegetation was only a method Df securing nourishment nnd in reality app?l tho vitality of tho tuber, Mr. Dar.U experimented moro than nix years, and found ho could overcomo this seemingly natural courso on tho part ot tho plant by supplying It artificially arti-ficially with Its needs. Uy employing snwdust, straw or any other earth product that would, permit of tho circulation of air, moisture moist-ure and heat and the application of solutions of vnrlous sails, ho discovered discov-ered a slnglo potato would multiply Itself It-self by attaching to Itsolf from 12 to 1G other potatoes ot approximately tho naino dimensions without throwing off hny of its energy nbovo ground. Packed In loosely arranged bins permitting per-mitting tho fieo access of air and arranged ar-ranged In rows six Inches nbovo each other, with an nllowanco of ono cubic foot ot sawdust to tho seedling. Mr. Darst has demonstrated tho rapidity of growth and tho proportions that the potatoes may attain by showing thnt within GO dnys 1C potatoes will produco a bushel. In tho charnctor of his experiment nnd the success that haB attended them Mr. Darst has tho Indorsement of Luther llurbank, the eminent horticulturist and botanist. |
