St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-05-05
G GROWING POTATOES,
Method Which Has Been Practical
With Considerable Success.

A Method Which Has Been Practical
With Considerable Success.
My way of growing potatoes where
planted in large fields. is as follows:
If stubbled ground, break late in the
fall a fairly good depth; we pillow from
six to seven inches deep. If corn
stalk ground and the stalks have been
let stand, rake and burn them as
early in the spring as possible, and
plow the ground sabout the same
depth as when fall plowed. II the
corn has been cut up the ground NAV
be broken in the fall. For potatoes
more than any other crop I prefer
fall breaking, as the ground work
much better, and it aids in getting
the crop in early, which is a very es-
sential point in potato culture. Where
the ground has been fall-plowed we
take the common two-horse corn Gull
tivator, and stir the ground a good
depth across the way the rows are to
run. If there has been heavy spring
rains, so that the ground lhas become
packed and one cultlvating is not
sufficient to loosen the ground, it is
just about as quick to pillow it with the
breaking pillow as to cultivate twice,
and is just as good if not better.
1t is very seldom we have
seasons in which one cultivat-
ing is not enough This work
should be done as early in the spring
as the weather and ground will per-
NIT. Now harrow the way the rows
are to run. If to be planted in rows
both ways, we are now ready to mark
the rows. So far, we have always
planted in drills this way: Take the
two-horse pillow and couple the plows
apart the required width of the rows.
We usually make our rows about three
and half feet apart. Now uncouple
the two front shovels and draw the
shanks up to the beams where they
are tied fast. This leaves only the
hind and outside shovel of each plow
to do any work. The shovels are set
to throw the burrows in or toward each
other. Now begin at the straight side
of the field and drive across the field.
making the burrows as straight as pos
sible, for if the first furrow is straight
all the rest will be. When you get to
the other end of the field turn and let
the first horse walk in the furrow
farthest from the fence. and so on at
every turning. This lets pillow rum
twice In every furrow, throwing a
furrow each way. We have now q
furrow six inches deep and all the
burrows in the field will be of uni
form width. Now we drop the pota-
toes one piece in place and about
fifteen to eighteen inches apart To
cover them, we use the two-horse Gull
tivator with all four shovels turned
to the row. This leaves slight ridge
over the rows with a furrow in the
middle for the water to settle in. In
about a week after planting we take
a common harrow and 60 over them
the way the rows run. In few days
after we cross-harrow thems which
makes the ground almost level. Now,
in few days after this. and just be-
fore the potatoes come up, we harrow
again with two-horse harrow, going
once to row. This is to check all
growth of weeds, for if they are not
before the potatoes get up
and started to growing there is no
way to get shut of them except with
hoe, and on large field this is no
boys play. If the potatoes are some
what slow in coming, and there
is any sign of weeds, | should
harrow again. 1t would do
hem no hurt. Have narrowed
hem when they were six inches
nigh. AS soon as they get high
enough to see across the rows, we
commence blowing them. using the
same cultivators we used in planting.
We plow them once every week or ten
lays, giving them from three to five
in the season. II it is showery
md weeds keep growing, we plow
oftener than when drier.
In planting we use two teams, one
20 furrow out and one to cover. A
rood hand will drop from two to two
ind half acres per day. We use
hree choppers and plant six acres q
lay. This may cost little more than
by machinery, but l think
We can do the work more perfect IL
he ground is very loose, or there Is
my trash in the way. we step on the
potatoes when dropped. to press them
n the ground a sufficient depth and TO-
make them more easily covered. Foe
he most part we have planted the
,est.of the understood potatoes. cutting
hem in two once When we plant =
arge ones we cut them in pieces OF
rom two to four eyea-Geo. A. sarss-
ey. in. Toledo Blade.