Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-02-03


Almost any kind of soil that will
rails a crop of corn will produce gooi
potatoes if properly prepared. 1t is
very essential that the ground be loose
and fine before the seed potatoes are
planted. If the land has been ploweC
i'll the fall. disk or harrow till it is
loose and fine to a depth of three
inches, then plow again. This will
give a good seed bed of six Or seven
inches of fine loose earth.
If you wish to plant in hills they
should be about three and half feet
7Dart each way, to allow of free cul-
tiy..---. I mark with corn marker
one way, and then use a four-shovel
sulky cultivator to open up the fur
row the other way, taking off the two
inside shovelg and fastening the other
two the desired distance apart.
The next thing of importance is to
have good seed of some popular sal
able variety. Cut to one or two eyes
and place only one piece in Q hill:
Place your foot on each pieco SO as to
press it down into the loose dirt as
deep as possible. This will make cov-
ering easier and will also prevent dry
ing out Cover with a hoe, putting
one hoeful of dirt on each piece of
potato. The marks made by the sulky
cultiyator will remain so as to be
easily seen across the field. Never
plant scabby potatoes if it can be
avoided, but If you must plant them,
soak in corrosive sublimate solution,
one part of sublimate to 1000 parts
water, for two hours before planting.
After planting it will not be neces-
sary to do anything more to the po-
tato patch for two weeks. By that
time pigeon grass and other weed
seeds will have commenced to grow
by the thousands, but the potatoes
will not be above the ground. Now
take the sulky cultivator and turn
the inside shovels a little, so that
when you follow the cultivator marks
it. will leave the ground as level as
POSSIBLE. This will kill all the weeds,
and by the time they start up again
the potatoes will be out of the ground.
They can then be easily cultivated.
Tome advise dragging the potato field
after planting to kill weeds l never
do it, for if the soil is very loose the
drag is sure to break off many sprouts
and sometimes remove the seed piece
out of it's place.
The cultivating should be kept up as
long as the vines will permit and the
soil should never be allowed to bake
after heavy rain or ugly, deformed,
bunchy potatoes will result. A good
plan is to cultivate one a week wheth-
er there are any weeds in the patch or
not, for if dry weather prevails the
loose dirt will hold the moisture bet
ter. If rainfall is excessive, the
ground cannot bake if the cultivator
is kept going. The hitler should be
used the last two or three times. 1t
will not disturb the small potatoes,
which will set before the vines are
large enough to stop the cultivation.
If potato bugs bother the vines
much, spray with paris green. A
spraying pump for that purpose can
be bought for so cents at most hard
ware stores, but if one cannot be OBJ
tained, mix paris green, one teaspoon
full to three gallons water, and for
sprinkler use bunch of ,.motny
heads, and when you are through u.s.
ing, put it into the stove. 1t is only
the work of minute to get another
when needed.
lr the potatoes are to be shipped
as soon as harvested they should not
be dug until the middle of October.
They can be dug in the forenoon, left
to dry few hours in the sun, then
loaded into wagons and hauled d.
rectly to the cars.-John Lye, In
American Agriculturis.