Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-02-12
farn1 ana fireside.
POTATO CULTURE.

Experiment station instituted exten-
sive inquiries concerning potato culture
in the South, and the result is given in
the following questions and answers
Wishing to add to our own expe-
rience that of practical cultivators in
various sections, we addressed circu-
lar letter to large number of market
gardeners in the South, scattered from
Florida to Virginia, in which we asked
the following questions:
Question /. To what extent do you use
second-crop potatoes for spring planting :?
Out of the 35 replies received from
all of the sections named, 26 growers
said that they used the fall-grown
potatoes exclusively for spring plant
ing. Three answered that they plant
ed most of their crop with the home
grown seed; one that he planted
about one-third bis crop with them !;
one used them very little, and two
said they have never tried them.
Question 2. How do they compare for
this purpose with Northern-grown seed
To this question the unanimous an
swer of all who have used the fall
grown seed is that they are much
better than the Northern seed, making
better crop and withstanding the
changes of weather better. Several
growers say, "There is no comparison
between the two; )" one says the home
grown seed are 100 per cent. better
than Northern seed"
Question 8. Have you ever planted them
more than one season renewed from
Northern seed, or do you think it necessa-
ry to plant Northern seed annually
enough to raise seed for second crop?
To this question Is growers give it
as their opinion that it is not necessa-
ry to renew from Northern seed mere
frequently than in from three to five
years. Two say they have grown
them eight years consecutively from
homegrown seed two say they have
grown them thus for 10 years, and
one says that he has grown them for ii
years. Six growers say that they
consider it necessary to plaut enough
Northern seed to grow potatoes for
the planting of the late crop. Several
express their opinion that if care is
used in selecting seed there need be
no necessity for change.
Question 4. Please state how you treat
the potatoes to be used for late planting,
after digging the early crop, what size you
use, and whether cut or uncut?
To this question the majority answer
that they simply spread them out in the
shade until the planting time, while
few have adopted the bedding plan.
About one.half the answers recon-
mend cutting the seed potatoes, l
observe, too, that those who do not
bed their potatoes and who cut them
are the ones who complain most of the
difficulty in getting stand OF late
potatoes. Nearly all use the culls, or
small, unmarketable potatoes from the
early crop; but it is worth noticeing
that those who have grown the home
seed for the longest time without
change usually consider it essential to
select good sized, smooth potatoes for
planting the late crop.
Question 5. What date do you plant
the second crop?
The answers to this vary with the
latitude of the growers from the last
of July in Virginia to September in
Florida. Our own experience shows
that, for this part of North Carolina,
the middle of August is the best time,
although fair crops have been raised
from September planting. But these
very late ones are apt to be cut down
by frost in an immature STATE.
Question 6. How do you prepare the
land, plant and cultivate she late crop?
The answer to this shows that the
majority of the growers make little or
no difference in the mode of planting
the late crops of potatoes, and the
majority complain of the trouble in
getting stand.
Question 7. Do you fertilize specially
for the late crop, and to what extent?
To this large number answer that
they do fertilize; but more lightly
than for the early crop, as they grow
it on the land that has had heavy
dressing for the first crop. A number
of growers recommend fertilizing with
u complete fertilizer to the extent Of
1000 pounds per acre, while several
use no fertilizers because they only
want lot of small potatoes for plant
ing. 1t is noticeable hat those who
recommend this pracIi,e also find it
necessary to resort to Northern seed
annually to grow their seed stock.
Question 8. What variaties do you pre-
fer?
1t is noticeable fact that among all
he varieties of potatoes that have
been introduced of late years, the
large majority of these growers still
give their preference decidedly to the
Early Rose-particularly the strain
known as Houlton Rose. The vote
was as follows: Twenty-one growers
name Early Rose; six name Bliss
Triumph; three name Early Ohio ;
two name Pearl of Savoy; two name
Crown Jewels ; two name Lees Favor
ite, and one each prefer Virginia Red,
Beauty of Hebron, Polaris and Clarke's
No. l. 1t will be seen, then, that the
Early Rose is far from being super.
seded yet.
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