The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-04-24
rransplanting Irish Potatoes.


bought a few potatoes -four pounds)
of a new kind that the Scotsman claims
is the earliest, smoothest, roundest potato
to be had. Please give me some sugges-
tons as to how to make the greatest
quantity from these four pounds leigh
teen potatoes). have bedded them just
like I do my sweet potatoes, and will draw
the sprouts as they come and set out,
drawing and setting out as long as l can
get a sprout. How should l prepare the
rows and how set out?
Have the rows well enriched with some
GOOD old compost, if possible; something
that will not burn the plants. Have the
burrows ready for the plants as they come
on. These burrows must be nearly filled
in at planting time. Set the potato plants
along in this furIow IS or 20 inches apart,
press the soil firmly about the roots and
pour in quart or half-gallon of water
to each plant so that every root will get
plenty of water When the water soaks
in draw some loose soil over the wet
place. AS the potatoes grow work soil to
them until the furrow is filed up, but do
not be in any hurry to make anything like
ridge over the potatoes. Toward the
very last it may be worked up to that
shape.
Did you split your potatoes in bedding,
or merely put them in whole2
It will be a great help if you 'grout,"
or puddle, the plants before setting out.
Have a bucket and put in some clay dust
and COW manure (about half and half,
add enough water to make mush, so that
when the plants are dipped into it it will
adhere to the roots. To the grout add a
double handful of some good fertilizer to
the bucket of grout.
The potatoes made from this first plant
ing we presume you will use to plant a
second crop with in July or August.
These first ones will mature uneyenly of
course, for those last set out from the
last sprouts, will not mature their pOta-
toes for some weeks, probably, after the
first ones have matured. AS the vines
begin to take on a yellow appearance dig
the potatoes and put away in some cool,
dark place on and under pine straw or
other like material, until the last ones are
dug.
Now, when all are dug, prepare a place
near a well or other source of water.
Scoop out a shallow place, in the the bot
tom Of which put a little straw and spread
the potatOes-not more than one or
two potatoes deep-and then sprinkle
straw and some soil. The idea is to keep
these potatoes moist and get them to the
very verge of sprOuting or a little farther,
viz: with the sprouts started one-eighth
of an inch. BY the time they get to this
condition have the burrows all ready to
receive the seed potatoes. If a good
rain occurs just at this time,
all the better. Take up the
potatoes carefully so as to break off no
sprouts, and into the loose soil of the fur
row make dibble hole and drop the po-
tdto into it; cover with a hoe, drawing a
hoeful of dirt over the potato and press
ing the soil firmly on the potato If you
have roller, after running a scooter fur
row on each side of the seed furrow run
the roller over the seed furrow and the
planting of the second crop is done. In
Two or three weeks there should be per-
tect stand. The cultivation should be
prompt and shallow. The main thing is
10 have the soil pressed very firmly to the
already started potato sprout Have we
made the whole process perfectly clear
II not, write us. This is the plan for
starting the late crop. We have in times
past tried every plan, but this is the only
one we would observe or commend
now. If 2 you try it once Just as
we have described you will
admit its superiority. Sprout the pota-
toes before planting them, but the sprout
should not be allowed to attain such
length as to render them liable to get
broken off in the handling incident to
painting and covering. Be sure and write
Us now much of a crop you make from
Your eighteen potatoes. Some years ago
number of potato enthusiasts COM
Peted for prize for the one who grew
Ihe largest quantity of potatoes from one
pound, and it was surprising the number
OF bushels yea barrels) that the most
successful succeeded in growing from one
pound. Doubtless some of our readers re-
member the incident more accurately
IMAM the writer. (Since referring to it
we must look it up and republish the in
tefestlng features of the contest, for there
was much in it that was instructive The
southern trucker or gardener who knows
exactly how to grow late crop of Irish
potatoes ought to make an "independ ent