Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-05-03

POTATO CULTURE.
Press Bulletin Of the Utah Experiment
Station on This Important Crop.

Potatoes do we'll on great variety
of soils. but the requisites are that Il
must be rich. well drained and thor
ouEhly prepared. oOwcru generally
agree that u rich sandy loan 10 best.
that heavy clay should be avoided. I'M
less II Is especially prepared by riow-
Ing under clover or some other green
crop 20 make II loose and mellow. and
that low. wet land VIII not produce A
crop OF good quality. II Il generally
believed that potatoes Of the beet quail.
ny and iincH, flavor arc produced by
light randy loan. II II said that the
Ideal soil for this crop should be- one
10 llRht an 10 oficr no great resistance
10 tho enlargement OF the ,uDera, 20
supplied with organic matter as To be
rather moist without being wet. and ~
rich aH 10 furnish an unfaliind uapply
Of fertlllzing ingredients.
IL N best 10 pillow In tho fall II tho
soil II clnycy, otherwise equally good
results may be- obtained from spring
blowing. In either case the depth
should not b. less than Inches, and
very thorough preparation should 10
given Just previous Ia planting, This
latter and careful cultivation with tho
harrow about the iiino of coming W.
will save much hand labor IN keeping
the soil loose and free from wcrdl.
The depth OF planting In general
practice. depends, 10 some extent. on the
soil. tlme Of planting and the variety
For the earliest planting, drfnrs tho
soil has warmed down very fnr, shall
low covering win Insure quicker
growth aud the seed will be less liable
20 rot. Two OF three inches N bosi for
hat ali
no doubt. givea a greater per cent OF
sun burnt potatoes. the loss N more
than compensated by the better stgnd
secured and the time gained ~ Inltur-
ny. For the main crop. four 10 fyc
Inches N the proper depth.
The various methods % cuttlnH auI
planting seed potatoes. followed ~
practical gfowern, indicate wide
range IN the quantity OF Hcvi used per
acre. The results of experiment STA.
TONS show that planting strong Hacd
pieces containing two eyes each IA
rows three feet apart the cuttings
twelve 10 iifteen inches apart IN tue
row, Will require from ten 70 fifteen
bushels per acre and that II N not aI-
Ninable To uau a less quantity Of r,,nd.
The cultivation should be swallow,
unlera the ground becomes pacKed OF
weedy, when deeper working may DO
necessary. In order to make the soil
mellow and destroy the weeds. Il
should begin ns soon a. the plants are
large enough and be repeated evety I'm
days until they are In bloom. This viii
keep the soil loose and mello'y aud a.
sist In holding the moisture. Level llll-
age IN recommended until tho iast going
over, about the lime tho p0tlto.s Ia.
gin 10 form, when the dlrI may b.
thrown slightly toward the ru,,.
Irrigation Ia the most intricate problen
IN the business ana the griwerR JuhR-
ment win here be an important factor.
The number u irrlgationa will depend
on the season, the Kind OF vii and the
time OF planting. A fun supply or
moisture Il needed from the time the
potatoes begin To set untll they are
fully developed. at whirh time the
water should be shut on Cor The rest
Of the season. Every irrigation should
be followed by the eultiyator an soon
ns the ground Is dry enough. but II
done after the potatoes are set the
teeth must be kept at a proper distance
from the row.
Luther FOSTER. Director.
May 1, iSy9.