Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-07-14
The Second Potato Crop.

Inc second poIato crop Is usually
more profitable than the first; it fur
nishes our winter supply, our next
springs seed, and a large surplus for
sale. Tits produced as follows: 5aol
In the beginning of July, theground,
usually the same upon which the first
crop was raised, is prepared by deep
blowing and thorough narrowing. 1t
would be better to raise the second crop
upon different plat from that on
which the first was planted. Two
crops in one year must, of necessity,
soon exhaust the richest soil; it would
certainly seem more profitable for the
farmer to raise his early crop for mar.
ket upon his quick, fresh land. 1t is
asserted, however, by some that after
land has been double cropped in pota-
toes for even three or four years, it
will produce any other as well as if it
had never been SO titled, but this as
sertion is open to much doubt. a
After the soil is properly prepared,
it is laid off in drills, with a one horse
pillow about 80 inches apart, in order
that two burrows may properly clean
each middle. As the great difficulty
with the second crop is to get good
stand, at least twice as much seed is
dropped in the drills as is expected to
come up. Much of it rots, or from
other causes fails to grow. The pota
toes at this planting, are covered with
two burrows with one-horse pillow to
insure the requisite moisture for germi-
nation, AS soon as they begin to
sprout, which must be assertained by
digging into the ridges, the land is
leveled by harrow or, better still, by
a drag, SO that the plant may make
rapid growth and so mature its tubers
before frost. AS soon as the weeds
begin to appear between the ridges, the
crop is plowed another blowing when
the plants are few inches high is all
the after cultivation needed.
As before stated, the chief difficulty
in making good second crop, is the
obtaining of good stand. The proper
management of the seed has much tC
do in assuring success. Too much care
cannot be exercised in protecting the
seed from the blistering rays of the sur
at the time of digging the first crop
If the second crop be planted on {
bright, hot sunny day, the covering
pillow should follow the seed dropper al
closely as possible. After the seeC
have been duly seasoned in the shade
it is cut lengthwise, !, e., from stem tt
blossom end; and all the tubers tot
small to be cut in that manner must b.
"scalped," I, e., slice must be Gu
from the stem end. If this be omitted
such potatoes will not come up at all
or at least not in time to mature tuber
before frost. In order to fairly ties
this fact, planted two rows of Early
Rose potatoes, seed uncut, about 1;
inches in diameter. Scarcely any o
them came up, while the scalped seeC
on each side of them did as well a
usual. l also selected twenty-five
Beauty of Hebron, of the same size a
above and planted them uncut, besid
twenty-three of the same scalped.
got seventeen good plants from the lat
ter lot; but none of the former cam
up in time to make seed.
Seed for the second crop should nc
be allowed to heal over, as the seed 70
the spring crop, but should be plante
as soon as cut. But one person of
number consulted got stand fror
"heal-over" seed. Those who plante
the seed as soon as cut, and covere,
, Immediately, in damp ground, wit
two burrows, succeeded best. Just b,
fore or directly after rain, if the SO
be in good working order, is the mo-
favorable time for planting. Som
crops utterly failed this year from b
ing planted in dry hot soil; the see
all rotted.
D The Early Rose is the only potat
7 yet used in second cropping" an
: some assert that no other variety wi
t succeed. l am satisfied this idea