The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-07-23
Seed Crop Irish Potatoes.

My attention was caught by your article
in The Constitution of July 9Th on late crops
of Irish potatoes. Now, l am an Irish pc
tato man, and, | think, rightfully so, for
my grandfather on the maternal side was
a native born Irishman. | have been plant
ing late crops of Irish potatoes for many
consecutive years, and have met with no
difficulties in raising an abundant second
crop. Your difficulty in securing stand
is due perhaps to your method of saving
or selecting your Seed-for by your method
it is likely that you plant many immature
tubers. My method Of obtaining seed for
the second crop is just the opposite Of
yours. Every potato taken from the patch
before the vines die down is eaten ana
which We get by the process known as
grabbing. When the vines are
az dead, or nearly so, L rake
or the mulching and dig them with a
pronsed hoe or pow them up with COM
mon scooter pillow, not allowing the sun
to shine on them for Il moment, but carry
them to Il dry, airy room, rather dark than
otherwise, and spread them thinly on the
floor, where | leave them two or three
weeks to cure. When the time comes to
plant my second crop Which should not be
deferred later than the 18th of August i'll
this locality, [ select for seed the largest
and smoothest tubers, which L cut up with
two or more eyes to the piece and plant
on the same plat of ground year after year
having prepared it before each planting
by broadcasting with light coating of rot
nure, blowing it under while my seed are
curing. plant the second crop precisely
like the first. | never cultivate Irish pota-
toes with either hoe or pillow after planting.
In planting | run the first IurrOW with turn
shovel lengthWise through the middle of
the plat; drop the pieces, skin side up
them with the return furrow and dropping
fifteen eighteen inches apart, covering
in it and so on, dropping in every furrow
until the bed is completed. When they come
up the plat has the appearance of having
been soWn broadcast. If the ground is well
filled with moisture mulch the plat mmedi
ately to the depth of four or five inches
with oak leaves and pine straw. If very dry
l wait for a rain and then mulch before the
moisture evaporates BY this method |
seldom ever fail to get a perfect stand and
good crop of potatoes. dig them after the
first frost in the fall and treat them
precisely as I did the first crop, keeping
and eye on weather conditions and when
ever there are indications of heavy fall
in temperature, / put them at once in
rels are excellent-flling the barrels nearly
full and examining old newspapers on the
top and sometimes around the barrels and
place them where they will be secure from
freezing. Irish potatoes will stand much
lower temperature without being injured
than sweet potatoes.
By this method Of planting [ have often
made at the rate of from three to six hun
dred bushels per acre. | generally use one
bushel of tubers to plant one-thirtieth Of
an acre.
[ never buy seed potatoes except to get
new variety. | haven't harvested my first
crop at this writing, but Will in a few days.
Thousands of dollars sent out of Geor-
ga annually for seed Irish potatoes alone,
which, with little care and labor at the
right time, might be kept at home.
j. b. PATE.
On the above we desire to say, % that
we have tried the plan several times with
poor success, not mulching, however, which
is practicable in most localities; e. 80
bushels of seed per acre is admission that
the usual quantity ten or twelve bushels,
will give only one-third of a stand. This
year we are planting last years potatoes
and they are now coming up. July 10TH
Editor.