The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1883-03-22
How to Raise Early Potatoes.

OF course warm, early land is indis-
pensable. 1t should also be full of fer
tility. There is little danger to be APP
pretended from having the land for
ear Y potatoes too rich. however Obiec-
tiOnable it might be for late varieties
The manure, too, or fertilizer used,
should be in condition for immediate
use. Green un ermented manure is too
slow for early potatoes.
One way to start the plants is to make
hOt-beds or cold frames in which to give
the young plants a start. The frames
should not be filled more than three or
four weeks in advance of the usual
planting season, nor should the heat be
very strong. Just a little protection
from extreme weather is all that will be
required, as the potato will grow in quite
cold weather.
Make the frames as for the hot-bed
planting, except that less manure
should be used. A depth of four or six
inches of good manure would be better
than thick body, which might heat
violently. Spread a little soil on top
of the manure, to keep the potatoes
from direct contact with the manure.
Cut the potatoes to one or two eyes.
! ay the pieces within two inches of each
other, which will give about eight to
ten square inches of room for each
plant Cover lightly with good soil and
lay on the sashes.
In a few days the sprouts will start
and roots will be thrown out When
the stems appear above the surface,
sprinkle over an inch of good soil.
This will cover the little weeds and thus
you will avoid the necessity of wedding
by hand. The plants viii also be strong
er and more healthy for this ''hilling-
up" process Give plenty OF air in all
mi weather, that the plants may be
hardy. When the outside weather be-
comes warm enough, the plants must be
set in the garden or field where they are
to grow.
They may remain in the beds till the
tops are from four to six inches high.
When ready to remove, take off the
frames, and with a six-tine manure fork
take tie plants up and lay them care
fully in a hand barrow, or wagon box,
for carrying to the field. Having the
well MANFRED rows all prepared, take
up fork-full OF the plants from the car
riage, and carefully pull the plants
apart, keeping as much of the soil and
manure attached to the roots as pos
sible, and lay in the burrows A second
hand should follow and draw soil
around the roots, as when setting cab
bages or other hot-bed plants. Then
with a hoe, draw up more soil and YOU
have a nice patch of potatoes all hoe !,
and perhaps nearly ready to bid, when
your neighbors have but just planted
theirs in the open CT, und.
If frosty night is feared, hoe-full
of dirt may be hauled upon the tops,
to be removed il the morning by care
fur brushing with the fingers.
This is method we have followed
MANY II hac rri1rar nc r, ofofcass
ripe for digging from ten days TO two
weeks before they could be had by open
ground planting.
If the plants are started too early, so
that new potatoes are formed before
transplanting. the crop is a: t to be
dwarfed, as the roots get too large to be
disturbed. but if the plants are but
fairly started into growth so there shall
be no check from transplanting. quite
fun crops may be expected.
Another good way is to bring the
seed potatoes into warm room about
three weeks before planting time. Sc
lect small-sized, whole potatoes for
planting. Place them in trays made of
laths, all with the seed end up resting
on the stem end. Keep the trays in a
strong light by day, and where the tenn
perature will favor growth day and
night. Prom the center of the seed end
a single eye will usually send up a
strong, stocky sprout, which viii have
a reddish green color, showing the rudi-
ments of roots and leave s.
When the garden soil is warm and dry
enough to crumble by cultivation, these
sprouted potatoes may be planted, car
rying them in the trays and being care
full not to bruise the sprouts when set
ting them in the rows.
They should be set sprout end up. of
course, and little earth must be drawn
around and over them. When they
show signs of pricking through. awinch
more of earth may be hauled over them
with the hand hoe, or the land may be
cultivated and brushed, 50 as TO kill the
weeds and hill up little.
For a arge field, the latter method OF
forcing is to be preferred as the labor
will be less, and there can be no check |
TO the growth. We have described
these methods in previous years. but |
the many new readers will be glad to
learn the details of an excellent method |
or getting early potatoes early. |
England Farmer,