The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-04
News Of the Farm
CULTIVATION OF POTATOES.

/
1t will be but a short while before the
| planting of early potatoes is finished and
the crop is one that pays well some years,
| perhaps better than any other staple crop
| that is given field culture on an average
number of years. With the aid of i'm
proved potato planting and harvesting
machinery, the labor of growing the crop
has been greatly reduced compared with
the methods of former years, but it has
been demonstrated that cultivation large
ly influences the yield no matter how fer
tile the soil. There are some advantages
in growing potatoes outside of the value
of the tubers. Potatoes require frequent
and clean cultivation, thus serving as a
weed killing crop; in fact, the Canada
thistle has been known to be eXtermin-
ated on field that was planted to pota-
toes two years. The crop also served as
an excellent addition to the regular rota-
ton, coming in as one well fitted for land
that has been used for grass and grain.
The use of the hoe in the potato field has
done more to rid some farms of weed
pests than has the cultivation of corn,
and if the market for the tubers is more
than supplied they are welcome change
to the animals as a portion of their ra-
tons
The old maxim that "tillage is manure"
has been shown to be true at Cornell uni
versity farm, where experiments were
made in that direction. Some plots of
potatoes were cultivated as many as
eight times and in every case the greater
the number of times the plants were Gull
tivated the larger the yields compared
with plots on which fewer civilizations
were given. The level culture was better
than killing. Two lots, cultivated eight
times, left perfectly level through the
season, produced at the rate of 3S4 and 357
bushels per acre, and three lots, cultiva-
ted five times. produced 340 325 and 2SS
bushels, the last lot being hilled at the
final cultivation. The different varieties
used showed that the same results could
not be expected from all of them, but suf-
fcent evidence was secured to demon
strate that level cultivation, and keeping
the ground loose, were important mat
ters in growing potatoes. Also that spray
ing the vines, in order TO protect against
potato beetles, at the proper times largely
influenced the yields, as less damage to
the vines resulted. Some lots that were
cultivated only three times showed large
falling off in yield, fact which should
be particularly noticed, as it is COM
mon practice for a farmer to cultivate
his potato crop three or four times and |
then 'lay it by until harvest.
AS disease has appeared in the potato |
crops in different sections of the country |
extra care must be used in procuring the |
seed, for, should disease be brought on the |
farm in the seed, it may not be eradicated |
for years. Take no chance after the seed |
arrives. as appearances are not always |
of freedom from disease, but |
subjects the tubers to the corrosive sub
Innate solution or Bordeaux mixture, |
which are well known to potato growers.
In the blowing and preparing Of the soil
is where the labor is saved. If the land |
is plowed early, so as to permit the frost |
to pulverize it, and then worked fine be-
fore planting, the work of after cutiva-
ton will be lessened in proportion to the
fneness of the SOIL as it may be neces-
sary once or twice to use wheel hand
hoes, but as a rule, the wheel hoes are
never used if the horse hoes can be sub
stituted. Deep blowing permits the land
to absorb and hold more moisture, and
frequent cultivation, in addition to arrest
ing the growth of weeds and grass, con-
serves moisture and prevents the soil from
becoming compact. AS the margin of
profit on potatoes is very small some
years, the gain of so or rs bushels per
acre by judicious cultivation will assist
the farmer very materially in making the
crop pay.