The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-05-02
Potato Culture.

1t appears chat after some hundreds
of years Of the cultivation of the potato,
we are only just beginning to under
stand how to grow it-just as in the
case OF corn. A few things about po-
tatoes are pretty well known. The
fine or feeding roots need to be pretty
well down in the soil where it is mel
low, cool and moist but not wet. The
tubers need a rather dry and warm soil
near the surface in which to develop,
and they will not grow and thrive
much below this depth. In moist
soil they need to be grown in ridges
but it is better to plant them on a dry,
well drained soil and fiat culture. We
will not discuss the seed and prepar-
alton, but il should be from at least
medium-siZed and weil-developed po-
tatoes, and il cut, each piece should
contain at least one wcll-dcvtloped and
vigorous eye. In dry ground, the seed
should be planted in drills and put
down four to six inches, but it is best
not to cover it to that depth at first
Cover two or three inches deep, and as
soon as the cultivation begins fill in
and level up the drills. In this way
1t is way it is claimed that the stalk
Will throw ont successive laterals that
will bear tqbers. For this purpose,
slight killing until the time Of setting
may be resorted 10. The ground must
be both mellow and rich, especially in
potash. But there must be no crude
manure in the soil 1t is better to en-
rich the soil the previous year when
another crop is grown 1t is usual to
put little special fertilizer-a quar-
ter OF a ton or so per acre--in the drill
when the potatoes are planted 1t is
believed to be better to put this above
instead OF below the seed, as the rains
and dews will dissolve it and it will
naturally descend. The seed should
not only be covered to about the same
depth, but lie on the same level in the
hill, SO rs to secure a uniform appear
ance of the plants and IL uniform
growth, no one plant Overshadowing
anOther.-MirrOr and Farmer.
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BOUNDARY LINE-The following
respecting the boundary line between
the United States and the British
possessions, on the fOrty-ninth paral-
lei, as arranged at the convention OF
1918, may not be without interest.
70 mark the line monuments were
placed extending from the Rocky
Mountains to the Lake of the Woods.
Where the line entered forests the tim
Der was cut down, and the ground
cleared a rod wide; where il crosses
small lakes stone cairns have been
built, sometimes being eighteen feet
under water and eight above; in other
places earth mounds seven by fourteen
feet have been built The most of
these monuments, which number
three hundred and lightweight all
told, are OF iron. 1t was found that
the most solid wooden posts were not
proof against the ravages of the In
dams, prairie fires, and the weather.
so that nothing but iron would do.
These pillars are hollow iron castings
fitted over solid cedar posts and we'll
bolted through and are sunk four feet
in the ground. They are eight feet
high, eight inches square at the base
and four at the top, and upon opposite
sides facing north and south, are the
inscriptions cast in letter two inches
high, "Convention of London Octo-
Der 70, 1878" The pillars weigh two
hundred aad eighty-tive pounds each
and were made at Detroit Michigan.
News.