Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-04-19
POTATO RAISING.
A Few Points About Potato Growing.

[ know of no plant that responds
to extra culture in such degree as
the potato. 1t is quite true that
it does not pay to neglect any
crop, but especially foolish is the
man who plants potatoes unless he
is willing and able to give them
tillage when needed. This may
be more true of ATTITUDES south OIL
New England and northern Michi-
gan than in those sections, as the
potato delights in a cool climate.
and what we lack in favoring
climate south of the best potato
belt we must make up in tillage.
Much heat is hard upon potatoes,
and drouth effects the growth OF
the tubers in the ground far
quicker than it does corn or wheat
or hay. We counteract the effects
of lack of rain fall III warm sec
tons of the country by giving
such tillage that moisture is re-
tanned in the ground, and we
especially have to light all weed
growth, as weeds are great pumps
for extracting moisture from the
soil. So much for the absolute
necessity Of good tillage.
For the main crop Of potatoes,
seed from the more northern lati-
tudes gives the best results. The
tubers are usually larger and more
vigorous, and in cutting each eye
has more meat to feed it when
putting forth a sprout. Northern
potatoes do not sprout SO quickly
in the early spring, and all seed is
better if it can be kept unsprouted
until placed in the ground. But |
have two cautions with reference
to seed from a distance:
I. There is always difficulty in
getting a variety true to name.
The productiveness of varieties of
potatoes varies much, and one
may order a favor:te variety and
get something radically different.
This rarely happens in ordering
from seed-men, but seed-men ask
a price SO much higher than the
market one that while a farmer
may be willing to order a few
bushels, he rarely feels able to get
a sufficient amount for extensive
field planting: The usual way is
to order from a commission mer-
chant, or buy rom a home
merchant, and it is not possible to
recognize many varieties by the
appearance owing to variations
produced by soil and climate and
the remarkable similarity Of scores
of varieties. n one instance I
know Of heavy loss to a grower
from planting a couple of hundred
bushels Of seed that was sent
under a name that did not belong
to it. In fact, commission men
know little of varieties. They
class all varieties under three or
four popular heads according to
general shape and iolor.
?. Potatoes areeasily damaged
by heat Or frost while stored in
cellars, and one nay injure his
chance for another crop by unwit-
tingly planting damaged seed.
Heated seed is specially to be
feared, as one car hardly detect
the injury until the spindling vines
or total absence d vines tell him
of the mistake lie has made in
his planting, If the sprouts and
small potatoes that grew in the
piles Of potatoes lave been care
fully screened out before the lot is
shipped to the grower, he is at the
mercy of the shipper. Much frost
causes potatoes to soften and rot
after being exposed to heat, but
slight frost damages the eye and
causes dark streaks under the
skin, while otherwise the tuber
appears sound. I assure the
beginner that nothing is more
disheartening thanheated or slight
ly frosted seed potatoes. No extra
culture can undo the mischief IF
| seem to emphasize this point too
much it is because I am amazed
every year at the carelessness Of
some about the condition Of the
seed used, although poor stand
of plants Away rewards their
efforts.
Although northern potatoes are
the best for the main planting,
there is another class of seed
potatoes that is excellent for early
planting. In the South two crops
of potatoes are often used in the
same year. Tie seed for the
second planting is taken from the
first crop, and the second crop is
harvested when frost comes. This
second crop often consists of