The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-06-29
SECOND or FALL CROP POTATOES


les for information on how to plant and
grow a good crop of Irish potatoes as a
second OF fall crop will state here
that have given this matter much
thought and Investigation. During my
recent trip through middle Tennessee,
where late crops OF Irish potatoes are
grown with great profit and success, l
, made 1t a point to visit at their homes a
number OF the most successful potato
growers to learn of their methods of
planting. growing and harvesting the
crop. I found in tins. as in all other
| farm operations, that hardly any two
planters follow out the same lines Of
planting this crop exactly alike, yet the
main features to success are generally
| observed.
| Now there are three things very essen
| tial in growing a fall crop of potatoes.
| First much will depend upon the sea-
son. The season must favor the crop.
Next. the proper preparation of the soil,
| planting and cultivating the crop. Third,
the seed, where these three conditions are
all obtained there is but little trouble
in securing a good crop OF late planted
potatoes.
As the crop is or has TO be planted at
a time when we may reasonably expect
the weather to be dry, 1t becomes the
more important that we have the soil
well prepared for seeding.
Soil.
I will first mention soil and preparation
of the soil necessary to produce late
crop of potatoes. The soil necessary for
producing this late crop need not ne
cessarily be different from that used for
a spring crop. In fact. the soil and the
preparing OF the soil for planting and
all may be very similar. But gensrally
1t is expected that the second crop of po-
tatoes can be made following some of
the earlier crops and here is where one
of the greatest difficulties comes in-that
of getting land which has already dried
out and exhausted the greater part OF
its fer ..lity in producing one crop in
condition which will enable 1t to produce
a good crop of potatoes. Most any OF
our lands which are rich enough to pro-
duce fairly good crops of corn. cotton,
and vegetables will, with careful prepar-
alton, generally with favorable weather
conditions make a crop of late potatoes.
AS fast as the early crops of vegetables
are harvested, the land should e broken
and narrowed fine and men rolled or
board drag or smoother run over the
soil. thus smoothing the soil.
This operation of cultivating and har-
rowing the soil should be repeated as
often before planting time as will be
necessary to prevent the soil from bak-
ing or becoming hard under the surface.
Now, 1t frequently happens. that crops
are harvested in June from land wanted
for a late crop Of potatoes. The land
must be worked until time to plant,
which will not be until August; hence 1t
may be necessary to cultivate and har-
row the soil several times between the
time that the early crops are harvested
and the time for planting. The soil will
need to have this cultivation Immediate
ly following every big rain In order not
only to prevent baking, but also to de-
stroy all young weeds and thus keep the
soil clean.
The main thing is to secure and main
tain deep. loose rich seed bed. Some
fertilizer will help In fact, 1t is of the
greatest Importance that fertilizer of
some sort should be used but the ques-
ton is what is best to use. and how can
1t be used to best advantage at this
season of the year. All soils for pota-
toes, however should be generously pro-
videL with humas (decayed vegetable
natter, the more the better. Where the
humas supply In the soil is scant, moth
| ing better In the way of manure could
| be applied than thoroughly rotten COM
| post. Raw stable manure Is to be at all
| times avoided unless 1t can be applied
for producing the previous or early crop.
AS a general rule, 1t Is null safer to
| depend on soil in good fertility rather
than on manure applications; but on
soils containing a suffciency of vegeta-
BILE matter. l would use a good, high
grade fertilizer in a limited way to as
sist in making the crop Compost for
use in growing this or any other fall
crops is hardly ever available at this
season of the year, as farmers usually
| use all manures of every sort to be lad
on the farm for making the early crops.
| Then again, farmers are generally to
| busy between the time of planting their
early crops and time for planting late
potatoes to prepare the necessary
amount OF compost.
Now, II 1t were possible for a farmer
to know ahead Of time that is, If he
could determine right at the start. the
| first of the year what crops and how
many acres he would plant to fall crop
potatoes, and then II he were only able
to spare the means, set to work and
make his compost heap by using every
| thing on his farm, and If near a town
haul out manure from the city barns
| so as to have the necessary compost on
| hand when needed he could be most GER
tain of sowing a crop. This compost, II
| prepared in say January and February,
and kept well forked over so as to cause
| thorough decay, waul>. by the time need
ed be in fine condition for producing
good crop of late potatoes
This compost should be spread broad
cast over the land and closely plowed in
| as soon as the crops are removed or
can be cultivated in after the land is
| broken.
Now we are supposing, of course, that
all late crops of potatoes are planted fol-
lowing other crops for land sufficiently
rich to produce this crop could not be
spared to remain idle up to time for
planting. So we will suppose that the
| first crop Is removed from the land by
the middle of June. Following this re-
moval of the early crop ale land should
be broken, harrowec an boarded as
| mentioned above, before the spreading
of the compost. The spreading OF the
compost at the rate Of lowing to the
conditions of the SOLD ten to twelve good
i wagon loads per acre should follow at
| once and then compost cultivated and
narrowed In and the land again boarded
down or rolled so as to cause 1t to re-
| tain moisture. Much better results can
be obtained by broadcasting the COM
post than II applied in the burrows. But
| where compost is not to be had in suffi-
Client quantities, the following mixture
will answer all purpose:
Procure pure bone dust or a high grade
| guano; to one ton of the bone meal or
guano. use two tons of weii-rotted COM
post $50 well rotted as to be made fine) !;
mix these thoroughly and use 100 pounds
or less according to the requirments of
the SOIL This application should not be
applied until time of planting the crop,
and the question as to whether 1t will
be best to apply broadcast or drill in
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