The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-03-26
AGRICULTURAL.

A SUBSTITUTE FOR PARIS GREEN
Paris green has long held prominent
place in farm economy as an insecticide.
and, in its relation to the potato crop,
the principal place, It's high price. la
bility to adulteration, and poisonous
qualities have seemingly had little in
fuence in restricting its use. But now
it must yield the palm to substance
called London purple, which was long
considered worthless. It is obtained in
the manufacture of analine dyes, and
contains 43 per cent. of arsenic acid,
besides lime, and some other chemical
constituents. Its advantages over Paris
green are that it is so cheap as not to
be liable to adulteration, is powdered
more finely, and is thus more easily
kept in suspension in water, or can be
more thoroughly mixed with other sub
stances. Prot. Riley states in recent bull
letin of the chronological Commission,
that it is even superior to Paris green;
and he recommends it highly for use in
the cotton field. From carefully conduct
ed experiments, made upon a large
scale, he concludes that the dry powder
can be most effectually and economical
ly used in the proportion of one-half
pound to eighteen of the dilutents,
which for the most part are the same as
used with Paris green, and he suggests
that higher proportion is simply q
waste of material. The substance has
been used successfully in combating the
canker-worm, by Mr.. A. r. Whitney, of
Franklin Grove, H.; it was used by
Prof. Bersey of the Iowa Agricultural
College, for the destruction of the Col
orado potato beetle, with most salts
factory results; and no doubt it will be-
come popular destructVe agent for
many kinds Of insect pests. 1t is sold
in New York at six cents per pound,
and if the additional cost of transporta-
ton were fully six cents more, it would
then cost fourth to third less than
Paris green.-CAarles r. Dodge, in
Land and Home.
RAISING PorArOEs UNDER STRAW
Occasionally some farmer has great sue
cess in producing potatoes by dropping
the seed on green sward and covering
it with refuse straw, old hay, or other
sorts of litter. When this is the case
he generally informs the public of his
method of cultivating potatoes and for
q time it becomes fashionable. Farm
ers who are not successful in this method
of raising potatoes do not say any thing
about it, and as consequence the pub
lie are in ignorance in relation to the
ratio that exists between failures and
successes. It is obvious that raising po-
tatoes under straw or other litter can
never become general for the reason
that sufficient material can not ordina-
rily be obtained for covering the seed.
Still most farmers can raise small patch
in this way to excellent advantage. The
best results are obtained by cutting the
potatoes in pieces of suitable size, drop
ping them on sod after the grass is a
few inches high and covering them to
the thickness of six inches with refuse |
hay, straw, or other rubbish. The adj
dition of well rotted manure, ashes, and
a fine soil is an advantage. The rain
will carry them down to the roots of the
potatoes. It is not necessary to drop
the potatoes in rows. The pieces may be
placed within foot of each other, as
no cultivation is required. A little earth
thrown over the straw covering
will keep it in place and
preserve the moisture in it. Almost
all the labor required to raise potatoes
in this way consists in handling the ma
terial employed in covering the seed.
The turf soon decays and affords susie
nance for the growing potatoes. The po-
tatoes are very easily harvested in the
fall and come out of the straw almost
as clean as if they had been washed.
Another object may be accomplished by
planting potatoes on top of the ground.
A harsh, tough sod may be subdued and
brought Unto condition to produce
good crops another year. A valuable
modification of plan of covering seed
potatoes with straw consists in opening
a furrow with pillow, throwing in old
hay, straw, forest leaves, or sawdust,
then dropping the potatoes, and finally
covering them with earth. The mate
rails thrown in the furrow are favorable
to the formation and growth of the