Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 299, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1911 — MODERN METHODS FOR CULTIVATION OF POTATOES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MODERN METHODS FOR CULTIVATION OF POTATOES

The principal points to be objerved in successful potato growing are: l Select a well drained, loamy soil. Glve tHls the most thorough preparation possible. Do not expect a soil that is badly run out to give you good returns. It take* years to get s soli ready for potato growing: Practice a rotation of crops whlca will inelbde clover to turn under. Keep plenty of humus in the soli to hold moisture. Select mature seed of a tested variety, free from disease, and from t field free from blight: Treat &U tubers to be used for planting purposes with formalin—l pint to 30 gallons of water. It will pay to select the best hitla

from the field for seed purposes. They will Invariably * greatly Increase tbe yield. Fertilize liberally with high grade .fertilizer especially rich In available phosphoric acid and potash. About 26 per cent in the cost of fertilizer can be saved by “home mixing.’’ Be careful in the use of fresh (table manure, wood ashes, or lime jn the potato land. These may sreate a condition in which potato ’scab,’’ if present, will thrive. Take the greatest precautions that the land shall not become infected with “scab.’’ It may take rears to eradicate the disease. Give the potato field tbe best of tultlvation. As much depends on ’his as on fertiliser. Practice cultivation that will conserve soil moieure. Do not attempt to grow potatoes without spraying. Use Bordeaux mixture for blights and combine with it some arsenical material to dll “bugs.” Spraying gives an Increased value of about 350J10 to the icre. The spraying pf potatoes is often ipoken of as “potato insurance.’’ So Jon’t forget to have your potatoes Insured. In order for spraying to be iffective ar\l successful three things ire fundamental. ' 1. Spraying at the right time. 2. A use of the mixture of the oroper kind and properly prepared. 8. Thoroughness of the work. It will be observed that we have -wo classes of enemies to deal with aamely: Insects and fungus diseases. Each class requires a different mserlal but fortunately in potato q>raying both can be treated with i combined mixture. - The theory of spraying is-—to hetfn before the spores of any disease u-e present, or before any* of the inaects make their appearance, and teep the plants well covered with materials which will Immediately deitroy either the insect or the spore if the disease before any damage la lone.

Reported failures, or poor results from spraying can usually be traced lo non-obeervance of one or all of die essentials Just given. So ter as spraying at the right dme la concerned, begin when the potatoes are about four inches high ind keep them well covered until the frost kills the plants or they ripen in the fall. Do not wait until iny of the diseases appear before rou begin. A properly made mixture Is important. Many tell ir not looking after '.his part of the operation. A definite, properly planted rotation of crops Is perhaps more beneSclal in potato growing than with any other crop, and in this rotation Mover should play an Important part. Certain bacteria it the soil have the power of taking nitrogen out of the atmosphere and storing this element tp In “tubercles" or “nodules” on the roots of clover and other plants at the same botanical family. Various authorities say that an ordinary crop of red clover will put into the soil In a second crop and Its roots from ISO pounds to 200 pounds of nitrogen to the acre. Clover also has a deep root system

bringing up plant food from below, conserves potash in large quantities, and adds mnch to organic matter. In Wisconsin it has been fouhd that growing potatoes after clover increased she yield 40 per cent. The leading potato growers in the district of Main are practicing uie following three-year rotation: first year potatoes; second year grain (seeded to clover); third year clover. Plow in the tell of the third year, turn the second crop of clover under, and repeat the rotation.

Bench For Cutting Seed Potatoes.

Potatoes Effected With “Scab."