The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-11-26
farm-@aroe.- Rsasebsls.



Now Is the time to prepare psrato grouna.
Select sod; pillow pretty deep. (of cosrse ysa
are not to select wet spot for potatoss). ].
the spring this wants to be plowed again,
broken up and pulverized. the finer the bseees.
The land should b subsoiled: but this IL rarely
done, and. indeed, it Is not always advisable.
Where tho ground Is alittle uneven, and water
is apt to stand On parts Of tiff, in other
words, It nus rather an impervious .o'l-do
net loosen the ground below, ~ it will make
. mlre if p!owed in the spring, thus increasing
the difhculty. But where there is good drain
&c. subsoiling is decided advantage. It
prepares you against the drought. Such
spot, thoroughly, deeply cultivated-the lower
soil with the subsoil pillow and left there, the
upper soil thoroughly mixed and comminuted
will produce good crop Of potatoes, resis-
ting drought and extreme wet alss. This
deep, rich, fine (pulverized) condition il what
is wanted, not only for good crop in = good
or ordinary good season, but more particular
~ as guard against the drought, which ID
getting to be our most dreaded enemy, and
almost every season inficts damage. lift does
not an excess of wet is pretty sure to supply
its place, and, luckily, the same soil that will
do for the one will do for the other, deep, rich
and mellow. This pays. The labor psys.
Do y0u think you can raise potatoes any way !;
few products pay better for the treatment,
and it leaves the ground ct for anything, with
single blowing, and insures the crop to fall
lowing, and, If you want to seed it down, Q
sure catch. Almost any ground will do for
potatoes if thus prepared. A clay is best in
drought but of course In deeply, finely pull
verified condition; otherwise avoid it, as Q
drought will kill your crop.
Too much sand of course 10 not good. But
considerable sand may be in the soil-it may
be termed sandy soil or sandy loam-provi-
ding always the seed is deep, not less than
seven inches, and eight is better. But in soil
where clay predominates, six inches should be
the rule, and never less. This will keep the
potatoes from seeing the sun, and they will he
(dewn) in moister condition. Of course no
shilling" is to be done in such q case /: let the
surface be level and kept level, using the cul-
tivator and hoe to keep the weeds down and
the ground mellow and moist. This may be
done till the vines interfere, as there will be no
young potatoes near the surface. The drought
in such case has also much less effect the
difference is great.
But-and this is perhaps the most important
OF all-plant early plant quite early plant -
early as you can plant before you SOW or plow
for grain. Remember. your soil is in csadi,
ton to pillow early, and the work is soon doae !;
then, Immediately after thorough pulvreiza-
ton, plant. The frost, if 1t comes, will not
reach your tubers 1.-THE seed}, as they are well
down. and if they should be reached, the
drawing out of the frost will obviate all harm.
The wet will draw off, and the seed will not
rot.
Begin now with the potato lot, and do -
directed. and there will he not ONLY a crop
irrespective of the season, but good one-s
good one when Others have failure, and when
you would have had one without this prepar.
alton. 1t pays; it Is the only way that will
generally pay.
A word more Do not think that there
should be made !. distinction between early
and late sorts with respect to planting early.
All roots want to be planted early The late
sorts will then get the fuller benefit of the
season, and the early will more or less escape
the drought.-RuraI Nep Yorker.