Interesting Article ... good read, am linking it to my Pinterest.com account. http://pinterest.com/pin/124482377171450908/ I use organic sulfur powder to treat my potatoes before planting them, keeps them from getting a fungus which causes them to rot. It may be the same as what ole timers you speak of used. I can buy it at the local co-op and the Pharmacist sells it from behind the counter at the local Drug Store. Any hardware store/seed store which sells seed potatoes would sell it too.