The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-05-31
WHEN TO IRRIGATE.
Never Flood a Potato Crop, Nor
Water Too Often.
1t Is the Roots That Need Moisture and
Any Surface Wetting That Does
Not Reach Them Is of No
Great Benefit.

Great Benefit.
By no means think of flooding po-
tato crop; keep from irrigating as long
as the plants are thriving; use the most
water when the crop is in bloom. By
this time the crop should have been
cultivated, about as deep as plOwed,
three times, throwing the soil up to-
ward the plants the last two cultivati-
vations; then run through with lister
OF shovel pillow with wings, as deep as
it can be run.
If you have not water enough to get
over the ground as fast as you want, it
is better to to furrow out every other
row and follow up with the water; then
furrow out the other as soon as you see
the crop needing it. It is best to run
the rows east and west rather than
north or south, if the lay of the land
permits, as experiments show that the
rows do not dry out so soon.
The success of the yield will depend
largely upon the eVenness and gentle
ness of the slope of your rows. for be
they too precipitous, or not enough so,
some of the plants will always receive
too much water and others not enough.
A slope of from 10 to 20 feet to the mile
is best. With a uniform slope of this
degree, water can be run in the rows
for 100 rods. If the slope is less the
rows should be shorter, since, in order
to force the water through to the lower
end, the water has to be turned on in
such volume that the rows at the upper
end is filed up to the top, shutting out
the air from the roots of the plants,
thereby causing potato scab.
If the rows are steep only a small
head should be allowed to run and let
run long enough to wet through into
the centers and under the rows. A
little wetting on the outside of the
rows is no good. You can know wheth-
er the work is thoroughly done only by
digging into the center Of the row as
deep as the soil has been plowed.
How often a crop needs to be irriga-
ted, depends upon so many contingen-
cies that it is not possible to establish
a fixed rule. From two to four times
is the general rule, according to the
thoroughness with which the work is
done and the dryness Of the weather.
The rainfall also has much to do in de-
termining the amount of irrigation.
In general it may be said that it is
the roots that need moisture, and any
surface wetting that does not reach
them is Of no use further than redue-
the temperature Of the soil which is i'm
portant to the potato crop as the tubers
will not grow if the soil around them
is too hot. For this reason the rows
should be planted very close together,
so as to secure all the advantage posi-
bic from the shade given by the vines.
Furthermore, compact planting will
insure better results by reason Of a
more even percoIation Of water, than if
widely planted, as the large space Of
waste soil in the latter case takes up
as much moisture as the ground con
tang the potatoes.
The long hot days Of June and early
July make the soil too hot in spite of all
the irrigation you may give it, to allow
the tubers to maintain a healthy and
growth. They become stuRted
and the vines often take on a fungus
growth that uses up the sap and stiff
ems leaves and stems, and arrests all
further development of the tubers.
Hence it is best not to plant until
the middle of May and then do not
by early watering the early
setting Of the tubers.
With a we'll moistened, deep plOwed /
soil to start with at planting time, by
clean, deep cultivation, the plants can
be kept thriving well without watering
and without setting tubers until the
middle Of July, or better, if possible, /
until the middle CT August. Extreme !
" dry weather may neoessitate early /
watering, but in that ease it had better |
be light and in every other row. Deep /
and thorough 5aturatiOn Of Che soil is |
what is needed to set the tubeEs, and !
after setting the soil in contact Ritl I
them should not be allowed to- get dried /
ont and hence hot