Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-01-21
Potato Growing.


We would not presume to offer ad-
vice on this subject in connection with
such high authority and su CHI successful
growers as are numbered among your
contributors, at whose feet we delight to
sit and learn. But in other lines we
have found that the humble teacher had
his place as we'll as the gifted and elo-
quent preacher, and the plain words
are Just what some one was glad to
hear. So if you cannot yet follow Terry
or do not yet und erstand the trench or
other systems, this much you can do:
prepare your ground in the best posi-
BILE manner known to you, no Sinking
here, and other necessary things in like
manner. But now about preparation Of
the soil. Perhaps next year you in
tend planting on the same soil as this
year. If they were very early potatoes
the soil should have been plowed
again as soon as the potatoes
were dug, and sown to some crop as
feeding ground for poultry, or to be
plowed under later in the season as a
fertilizing crop. But for the future, as
you finish digging, perhaps with hoe
or spading fork, you find the soil in
rough condition, full of holes for stand
ing water, hard places from which the
moisture has or will be gone; put on
Ill,
doing SO you pulveriZe much of the soil
very fine. Then Immediately pillow it
as deep as the nature of the soil admits,
as potatoes need deeply enriched soil.
Harrow again, leaving the surface fine
for the retention of moisture. During
the fall and early winter m onths, spread
over it such manure as it needs, and
the following spring it will be in fine
shape for re-plowing and narrowing,
and you will see what fine seed bed
the thorough pulverizing given this
season has made YOU. N. Rice, IN
Practical Farmer
Time to Apply Manure.
An exchange has the following letter
from man who tried spreading manure
on the land in tie winter, and has
found it the best practice on his soil:
/ used to be sceptical in regard to the
propriety of drawing and spreading Of
manure in winter, but am convinced
that little loss results, even on quite
rolling ground. Last year | had an acre
of corn-stubble destined to be planted
with strawberries. About one-fifth of
it was gravel knoll, which showed by
the growth of corn that it is not so rich
as it should be. On this drew in Jan
uary six loads of manure direct from the
stable and spread from the wagon.
When | plowed the soil in spring the
manure had fiattened out and looked so
scant and unpromising that [ did not eX-
ect to see any favorable result, although
I noticed that the ground had black
appearance Just at the surface. After
midsummer, however, the growth of
the strawberries showed just where the
manure was applied, and [ think | got
as good as if it had been kept until
spring and spread just before blowing.
Drawing direct from the stable saved
once handling, and all loss from fire.
fang and rains. 1t was drawn in inter-
vals of leisure. and ratnwater did not
constitute one-half the weight.
[ notice that some of the most pros
porous market gardeners around Akron
now spread directly from the wagon the
manure they haul in winter, instead of
leaving it in heaps to alternate teaching
and drying, as was formerly the fashion.
Just now | am bedding very heavy with
straw and cornstalks, spreading the
manure evenly under the stock, with a
view to mulching patch of strawberries
that is alongside the railroad, and liable
to burn over if mulched in the usual way
with straw. This coarse manure will be
spread thinly on the rows, will prevent
sudden tina wing, and retain the snow in
a measure. By next June the organic
matter will have been leached into the
earth and essimilated, resulting possibly
in a increased size of fruit, although the
ground is quite rich. Jerry Knox, of
LUCINDA strawberry fame, used to mulch
three inches deep with shavings manure
from the Pittsburg horse stables, taking
off the coarsest in April, and working
the finer parts into the soil between the
rows That taken off was then returned,
to keep the berries clean and the ground
moist and cool.