The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1895-04-03
vs S@S sss-.
aEERM sFogAD
1 aND GN@ERN
LARGE POTATO CROPS.



The potato crop grown with the small
est amount Of care must yet cost more
to bring it to maturity than do average
grain crops It is impossible to greatly
lessen the cost Of potatoes needed to
plant an acre. Whoever attempts to do
this by selecting inferior potatoes, or BY
QUITTING the tubers to single eyes, runs
great risk Of losing for more In the crop
than he saves in the cost Of planting.
The seed eye makes moro vigorous start
for having liberal chunk Of starchy
nutrition in the form of potato attached
to IL. There may be exceptions to this
rule, as there are to nearly all OF q gen.
eral character. We have usually planted
four to six bushels of cut potatoes per
acre. Those who plant potatoes uncut
require from six to eight or nine BUSH
els, according to the size OF the potato
seed used.
This preliminary increased expense Of
q good crop pays tenfold tho extra cost
that is involved. At each further step OF
the work Of growing the crop increased
outlay is followed by like gratifying re-
suit. This is especially true Of the farm
or who not only has money to spend,
but has the enterprise, industry and ex.
ecutive ability required to do the work
promptly.
For crop that involves so large cost
of seed and extra cost of labor only the
best soil should be chosen. The expert
enced potato grower no longer heavily
manures poor land for growing potato
crop. He wants soil made rich by pre-
vious manuring and by plowing under
clover or some other of the leguntinous
renovating crops. If large quantity Of
coarse manure is used to fertilize poor
land for potatoes, it will inevitably
cause blight of the foliage and rot in
the tubers.
The large potato growers now under
stand the necessity for heavy additions
Of potash fertilizers for increasing the
potato crop. 1t is because stable manure
is generally deficient in potash that it
does harm by making succulent, un-
| healthy growth. The development ot
starch in the tubers ia through the
leaves. These are kept vigorous by plenty
of potash, and when the leaves do thei,
work we'll the quality Of the tuber i:
improved.
Plenty and not too much moisture ii
essential for good potato crops. A drain
ed soil, clover ley plowed under early
) in spring and continuous cultivation
until the potato crops cover the grount
will give this condition. If the soil il
drained and the potato foliage is large
the crop will not be rotted even in ,
wet season unless fresh manure has beel
applied toit. If the potato grower want
to draw out coarse manure in winter t.
be plowed under. let it be on land in
tended for corn. This is crop that W
!. have never have seen injured by ma
nure. The potato crop may be.
One year with another the potat
crop pays the careful farmer better tina
} any other. 1t pays very large profit
about one year in three and as we'll q
most other crops in the years interveI
ing. 1t is crop that fits in we'll wit
Y the system of mixed husbandry that
: coming into favor, because it gives en-
, ployment during the larger part of th
year, explains American Cultivator, al
thority for the foregoing. OF course, n
d matter how the plant may be manuret
a there will be no crop unless increasin
vigilance is used to destroy the potat
larva The use Of poisons must
prompt. as few hours delay will caui
considerable loss. 1t Is very rare in
hot summer that the potato grower do
p not have few hills ruined before
can stop the destruction.
An Excursion to Michigan for Ever!
body.
On Thursday, May 7th, the Bucl
eye Route, Columbus, Hockin
Valley & Toledo Railway, will sc
Il excursion tickets to points in IL
y Great State Of Michigan, at the e.
e tremely low rate of one fare for Il