The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1904-02-06
FARMER AND PLANTER.
POTATOES IN THE SOUTH.
Irish Potatoes In the South
Hardly Realized.

lI1Sn potatoes OH the southern Sod-
board is hardly realized in many sec
lions of the country. Our northern
friends think that they grow some
potatoes, and they do grow them fine
Iy so far as the general and late crop
is concerned. But even with the late
crop the South Atlantic states are fast
coming to the front with their second
crop potatoes. One grower in North
| Carolina offers three thousand bushels
| Of this late crop this year, and there
are few northern farmers who grow
more during the whole season. And
second crop for the same season, while
but one is grown in the north, the inn
portance of the potatoes crop in the
south becomes at once apparent. Some
years ago Nr. Terry, of Ohio, visiting
Maine and seeing how they grow po-
tatoes there, said he thought that he
could make money at growing potatoes
in Maine, though they average about
| 25 cents a bushel. What would he say
TO growing a crop of 70 barrels or
more per acre, getting them into mar
ket early in June, growing a crop OF
pea vine hay on the same land and
| then a second crop of potatoes of 90
barrels per acre the same season, and
yet this has been done in North Caro-
lima and none of the potatoes sold for
less than $3.50 per barrel. visited the
field where this 65 barrels of late pota-
toes had just been harvested and COW
cred in a long rick over the field, and
the land was then set in the fourth
crop, cabbages for the next springs
market OF course such cropping as
this demands heavy fertilization, and
the crops sold off the land are largely
water. But to get this water the truck
farmer must use the elementary plant
foods in a lavish manner. His soil is
naturally light and not originally very
fertile, but the moisture conditions are
| good and the cropping tends to the ac-
emulation of humus and the further
retention of the soil moisture. Some
experiments are being made in the
| South Atlantic truck region in the
planting of the potato crop in the late
fall or December. How this plan will
work is yet to be seen. II it turns out
well it will doubtless advance the
spring work greatly. But the main
season for the planting of the potato
crop is in late February and March.
Most of the North Carolina growers
aim to get their entire crop in by the
last of February, and sometimes begin
the marketing the last of May. There
is no previous preparation for the ear
iy crop better than a crop Of COW peas
the previous summer allowed to die
on the land and rye then scattered
among the dead vines all to be turned
under for the crop. This supplies a
considerable amount of organic nitro
gen. But in the rapid cropping Of the
truck soils this is seldom done, and
generally one sees the land lying bare.
This | think is mistake unless the
land goes into a fall planted crop. The
lavish manner III which the truck
growers use commercial fertilizer
would be revelation TO those who
are in the habit of sprinkling hun
bred or two pounds per acre. The
heavy cropping to which the lands de-
voted through the season necessitates
lavish treatment in the way-of fertil-
iZers, and the growers seek to know
not how little they can get along with
but how much they can use profitably
One of the largest of the growers OF
the early potato crop who has 8
large fertilizer building on his farm
and mixes his own fertilizers by ma
chinery gave me the following for
mula which he uses on his potato
crop:
Fish scrap 700 pounds, nitrate o
soda 300 pounds, bone black super
phosphate 600 pounds, and muriate o
potash 400 pounds. This would max,
51h per cent of nitrogen, 7 2-5 per cent
of phosphoric acid and 10 per cent o
potash. He has worked this formul;
out through many trials as the best ont
for the crop. 1t has been found tina
the early crop in the south, growing
during the cool weather of spring, need
a larger percentage of nitrogen than Il
usually given the crop in the north
We are of the opinion that if it wa
practicable to get part of the organi
nitrogen through a previous crop o
peas, the fertilization could be dom
much more economically The grove
mentioned uses never less that half
ton per acre of the above mixture, an,
thinks it pays to use at least tina
much. He plants never less than 10
acres in the early potato crop, and oftel
q larger area. The second crop is al
ways grown from potatoes of the earl.
crop One grower says that he ha
found the best way to get this crop i
to plant the potatoes as soon as dug, an,
then at once to SOW the whole land il
cow peas. BY the time the COW pea
are ready to cut for hay. the potatoe
are coming up, and the stubble of tn
peas is then worked in in the cultiva
ton of the crop. The second crop
not so heavily MANFRED as the first.
is grown mainly for seed to plant tn
following season, for the southern
growers have long since learned tina
this late crop maturing and dug in De
cember, is the very best that can
had for planting the next season. The
keep during the winter withou
sprouting, and grow in the spring wit
the strong growth of the terminal bud
I III