The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-03-02
Essential Points in Potato Culture.

LSSeHtiaI IOintS In T0tatG JulIures
The soil acknowledged to be the best
for the potato is a rich loan, sandy and
neither too wet nor too dry. A clover
sod is well suited to potato culture. and
furnishes large amount of vegetable
matter to the soil. Some of the largest
yields on record have been grown on
old sod land turned underin the fall and
lightly plowed and narrowed in the
spring, with atop-dressing of some good
fertilizer. Early potatoes thrive well in
quick, light soil. Wet land should be
avoided, for it produces tubers of coarse
texture and the reverse of mealy.
1t pays to prepare the ground thor
oughiy for potatoes. Never pillow it
while wet and heavy. As has been sug-
gested. sod lands are best broken in the
fall. 1t is also good plan to practice
fall blowing on land naturally rich or
that which has been highly MANFRED
Tor some previous crop. Then lightly
pillow and harrow it in the spring
This plan is pre- cradle to highly manur-
ing spoor soil, especially when an APP
plication at'time OF planting is made of
bonedust. ashes. plaster and similar ma
terials. Fresh barn-yard manure is to
be avoided. When stable manure is
employed let it be old and well rotted.
Fertilizers of dry, absorbent nature
are advantageous to this crop, especial
ly on lands inclined to be wet. On
warm, dry, light soil, muck compost
proves beneficial; decayed leaves are
also excellent. Ashes, by the way, not
only provide plant-food but tend to
prevent rot. Addressing of salt and I'M
leached ashes, applied during the grow
ing season, is believed by many to be a
preventative of the grub so prevalent in
richly manfred soils
Both hill and drill planting are prac-
ticed by successful farmers, the former
being the more common method. The
distance apart depends on the variety
of potato planted, some sorts requiring
more space than others. Under all cir
cumstances there ought to be space
enough to admit of thorough culture; in
word, su fcient space Goth ways for
the cultivator, etc. The usual rule,
when plant ng in hills, is three to three
and half feet apart each way, and
drills two and half feet by three feet.
The conviction Of late years appears
to be that many failures occur from too
much seed, and not few of our best
cultivators recommend and practice
cutting seed to two eyes. They select
fair specimens for Seed avoiding the
extremes of large and small sizes, and
cut in pieces large enough to insure
subsistence to the young plants In
this matter, as in all others. circum-
stances alter cases. It occurs some
times that farmer has on hand a lot
of small potatoes OF excellent variety;
with these cut to two eyes he may gain
very far results, other things being
favorable, but this practice long con-
tinuedis believed to result unfavorably.
Potatoes should be cultivated from
the time the vines appear above ground
until they begin to bloom. Remember
that weeds draw largely of the sus-
tenance required for. the developing
tubers; hence must not be permitted to
thrive. To secure an early crop the
seed should be planted as soon as the
ground can be put in readiness. EARLY
varieties are ready for market ir sixty
five to seventy days from planting, in
surfing a high price and admitting of
a second crop for winter use and for.
seed. Farmers near market sprout po-
tatoes for seed in some warm place
when injury from spring frosts are
feared, and in this way advance the
crop. A method prevalent of forcing
potatoes at the North is to select whole
tubersof an early variety, place these
closely together in moderately heated
bed, composed of light loan and the
like, three or four weeks previous to
time of planting, When ready to plant
these sprouted potatoes are cut in
pieces and set in the ground about three
inches deep. A little stimulating fer
tilizer in the drill is often supplied for
warmth and nourishment to the young
shoots.
The potato crop is becoming an inn
portant one at the South. 1 heir use
has increased and their shipment North
as an early product is growing every
season Potatoes are planted on the
Gulf coast in December or January;
little further north at a somewhat later
date, adapting the time of ripening to
the close of the season. S moderate tenn
perature. And then there has sprung
up a practice that renders possible a
winter supply for the masses and in
creased consumption of this product,
which cannot endure the heat of sum-
mer. This consists in growing two
crops, one in winter and early spring.
and the other in autumn, in time to
ripen before frost. With two crops it
is possible to have a continuous supply
and seed potatoes grown at home.--N
Y. World.