The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-02-17
PLANTER.
ABOUT IRISH POTAT0E
~ the Conditions Necessary to
Make a success of the crop
Ia the south.

m IHdhC "a -
must first select the right kind OF SOIL
70 GROW them in. This soil should be
Ioose: a light sandy loan being pre-
r.rable. which should be well filled
With bumus. O~urnorthern friends have
tbe;r best success on a clover sod,
,lich furnishes this humus; but at
tbe south, we must depend principally
mon the cow pea to tighten our soil,
and supply us with this vegetable mat
ter, A piece of light, loamy land that
was in corn last year, and well ma
nured for that crop, and which had
cow peas sown in the corn and the
wires allowed to die on the land, will
do finely. Or a piece of new ground
where the stumps have been grubbed
out. SC it can be broken deeply, is also
a good place. AS soon as teh land is
dry enough in the spring,
break deeply with a two-horse plow.
II YOU are not SO fortunate as to pos
sess a big pillow, follow behind the ne
horse turn pillow with a long, narrow
sharp scooter, in the same furrow.
TLel. harrow down fine with cutaway
and smoothing harrows, and lay off
your rows three feet apart with double
mould-board pillow, running deep
enough so the seed will be four inches
below the surface when the land is
level. In the meantime have your
seed potatoes cut to two good eyes,
irving to have the pieces as even IN
size as possible; see that your seed are
medium sized tubers and good smooth
stuck, free from scab. Do not cut too
many ahead, for we want to put fresh
l,-out seed into freshly-opened fur
rows. Drop your pieces ten to four
teen inches apart, according to variety.
Early varieties requiring closer seed
ing than the later maturing kind; and
cover lightly about two inches deep.
Then your are ready to apply your
fertilizer.
This fertilizer should contain a
good per cent. of potash for best re-
suits, and to make the potatoes nice
and mealy. Soggy and watery pota-
toes are usually the result of a def
| CLERGY of potash in the soil, so that
this matter is very important. A fer
tilizer for this crop should contain am
monia, six per cent; phosphoric acid,
seven per cent, and potash eight per
cert, and can be made by combining
4 soc pounds dried blood, $50 pounds
at.d phosphate and 800 pounds muir
ate of potash, IL sulphate of potash,
IL il is preferred, to make a ton. APP
| ply this in a broad band on top of the
/ row at the rate of 1000 pounds to the
acre, for the main crop, if your land
in good. But 1000 pounds will he
founo to pay better, especially on the
early crop, which needs forcing. Now,
put two good burrows On every row,
and your planting is completed.
The cultivation of this crop should
commence almost Immediately, by
turning a S moothing harrow
across the rows as soon as the land
is dry enough, after u rain. Keep the
crust broken in this manner, by run
nil o first cross-wise and then length
wise of the rows, until the plants are
wei! up; when the cultivator with mar
row teeth can be used. This cultiva
ticn should be frequent and shallow
and as nearly level as possible, keep
ing il up until the vines begin to die
4 As the plants become large spray
them with Bordeaux mixture, as {
preventive against blight. Keep 1
sharp lookout for potato bugs, ant
catch the first ones that make theil
appearance. By looking the field owe
|pnce a week these pests a be KEEP
in check; and with us, the method ha'
been cheaper and more satisfactor,
Ethan to use poison.
a Careful attention to details are tn
requisies of success with the potat'
81 op, as with most other crops for tina
mttter.-T. j. Merriam, Battle Hill
GA.