In each chunk their uncle cut the
children noticed several "eyes."
"What are you doing?" asked Hal.
"I am getting ready to plant a second crop of potatoes," said Uncle
Pennywait. "The first ones I planted in my garden were early ones. Soon we
will be eating them on the table. They are not the kind that will keep
well all winter, and I am planting that kind now. I am going to win the
ten dollar prize by raising a bigger crop of potatoes than you can raise
of corn or beans, little ones," and he smiled at Hal and Mab.
Then he went on cutting the eyes out of the potatoes, while the children
watched him. They saw that each potato chunk had in it two or three of the
queer dimple-spots.
"A potato is not like other things that grow in the garden," said Uncle
Pennywait. "It does not have its seeds separate from it, as beans have
theirs in a pod, or as corn has its kernels or seeds on a cob, or a
pumpkin or apple has seeds inside it. A potato's seeds are part of itself,
buried in the white part that we cook for the table, and each potato has
in it many seeds or eyes.
"Of course I could plant whole potatoes, one in each hill, but that would
be wasting seed, so I cut the potatoes up into chunks and plant the little
chunks, each one with two or more seeds in it.
Pages:
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72