St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-03-17
FARMER ANDPL.ANTER.
ABOUT IRISH POTATOES.
Sonse Of the Conditions Necessary 40
Make . Success of the Crop
In the south. e

To make a success of this crop, we
must first select the right kind of soil
to grow them in. This soil should be
loose; light sandy loam being pre-
ferable, which should be well filled
with humus. urnorthern friends have
their best success ON a clover sod,
which furnishes this humus; but at
the south, we must depend principally
upon the cow pea to tighten our soil,
aad 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
Go finely. Or piece of new ground
where the stumps have been grubbed
cut, SC it can be broken deeply, is also
q 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
SEES big plow, follow behind the one
horse turn plow with long, narrow
sharp scooter, in the same furrow.
Tier harrow down fine with cutaway
and smoothing harrows, and lay OF
y"ur rows three feet apart with double
mould-board plOw, 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,
trying to have the pieces as even in
size as possible; see that your seed are
medium sized tubers and good smooth
stock, free from scab. Do not cut too
many ahead, for we want to put fresh
ly-eut seed into freshly-opened fur
rows. Drop your pieces ten to four
tee n inches apart, according to variety.
Early varieties requiring closer seed
:ng 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 q def
CLERGY of potash in the soil, SO that |
tl,is 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 |
SOC pounds dried blood, $50 pounds |
a1:d phosphate and 800 pounds muri- |
ate of potash, or 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
founu to pay better, especially on the
early crop, which needs forcing. Now, |
put two good burrows on every row,
anil your planting is completed.
The cultivation of this crop should |
almost Immediately, by |
rurDing moothing harrow |
across the rows as soon as the land |
is dry enough, after rain. Keep the
crust broken in this manner, by rum
nil first cross-wise and then length
wise of the rows, until the plants are
wei. up: when the cultivator with mar
row ,eeth can be used. This cultiva-
ti..n should be frequent and shallow
ard rs nearly level as possible. keep
ng il up until the vines begin to die.
As the plants become large spray
tl,el.i with Bordeaux mixture, as
preventive against blight. Keep a
shSrp lookout for potato bugs, and
.;.tch the first ones that make their
appearance. BY looking the field over
once a week these pests can be kept
N cneck; and with lis, the method has
tesn cheaper and more satisfactory
han to use poison.
Careful attention to details are the
requisites OF success with the potato
.rop, as with most other crops for that
mt tt0-T. j. Merriam, Battle Hill,
Ia.