The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-06
Experience In Potato Eaislne.
Lancaster County. Pa. Correspondents {
Country Gentleman.

Lancaster County. Pa, Correspondence Of
Country Gentleman.
Now that tie snow drifts are disap-
pearsng rapidly under the welcome In
nuence OF the SUI. farmers IN this local
fTy wsi be thinking OF getting the FRS
and one of the most important as wen a.
best paying field crops into the ground
Nearly every farmer has his parysctlsar
way and time Of planting potatoes. So
1t would be well for every one who las
been successful grower TO give mis-
method of growing this important crop,
II is an ord saying that there Is no one
30 wise that he cannot sifll learn some
thing.
have never raised potatoes on a large
scale, bat usually raise about three acres
each year. never paying any attention Ia
the price: but in the long run find the
potato crop the best-paying one we raise
However. when potatoes are extremely
low and drug on the market we. as a
rule, plant largely, as The majority G.
farmers cry. Potatoes don't paw" and
therefore just raise what they need fer
family use. Generally by the time the
crop is harvested the price has advanced
10 a paying one. and finds such farmers
with none to sell
We always plant our potatoes on the
ground that was in corn the year pre-
vious. selecting low. but thoroughly
Ny
coat Of barn-yard or hog manure in the
late fall or early winter. The ground is
then left until planting time, and tnst Is
whenever the ground is sufficiently warm
20 insure speedy growth, which mostly
happens about the goth of April. We al
ways endeavor TO plant as early as we
can to avoid the bugs as every one
knows that they are more destructive 10
late crops or weak hills In the row. We
now select pure variety OF kind of
potatoes that are heavy producers ard
have a reputation on the market and cut
them TO a single eye, il the pieces are
large-neyer more than two eyes. Then
we start to the field with pillow, potatoes
and some good commercial phosphate
containing a large per cent. of potash
We now start the piow down a corn
stalk row. and the troopers then follow.
dropping the pieces at the land side of
the furrow at a distance OF about Is
inches apart. Then another man fol-
lows with the fertilizer. sowing IL as
near as he can on the next furrow TO he
piowed, or the one that is 10 cover the
potato.
We then plant In every third furrcw
until done II the ground is mellow
(which it should bel. healthy roller is
run over the patch, and n is left for
about ten days and then thoroughly har-
rowed with a good spike harrow-at
least three times. After we see them
peeping through the ground. we repeat
the narrowing. thus destroying all weeds
that will In any way interfere with the
growth of the plant until Ii is large
enough for the aingle cutivator. which
we use often and as long as we can. or
until after blossoms appear / want 20
shovel pillow In my patch, as level culture
In nine cases out of ten give the be 81
crop. We have tried raising potatoes
about every other way in planting. but
the above gives us the best satisfaction
OF course. attention must be paid 10 the
bugs, or day or two OF neglect may let
them ruin the most promising crop.