The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-25
FARM,
"Our" Potatoes.

Among the many blessings the South
enjoys agriculturalIy it is by no means
t. l~--t the possession Of two great
tuuer crops. the sweet and the
Irish" potatoes. So long as seed time
and harvest fails us not and so long
as we have the wherewith to plant
and make a crop Of one or the other or
both, especially both" there viii be
10 need for any one actually starv-
ing to death in land where something
of value can be planted every month
in the year and where one or the
other of the potatoes can be planted for
six months in that period. 1t is a linz
tied section of the world that his the
royal sweet potato, that can be plant
ed from March to June, and that can
grow two crops of Irish potatoes on
the same land if necessary. Anyhow,
Georgia and some contiguous territory
is so blessed. If only we only made
the same or even half the economic
use of the two that the Irish do of
the white" potato, their best culture
could easily enlarge our agricultural
prosperity.
In Georgia February is the month
for planting the Irish potato Four
fifths of the planting of the first crop
is made in this month. Where the
potatoes are cut for planting it is bet
ter to wait until February, even in
South Georgia, as there is little or
nothing to be gained by risking the
planting earlier. Where home raised
seed is used and small whole potatoes
are planted they can be put in the
ground in January, but very few pro-
vide such seed from last years second
crop.
For thirty-five years. wherever it has
been possible, we have given the pref
erence to Maine grown potatoes for
seed purposes, though any well-raised
and selected seed from the Northeast
ern section of our country is generally
satisfactory.
More care and intelligence is re-
quired now in raising pSJftable crops
of potatoes than was the case twenty
or even ten years ago. Ten years ago
We had no blight, no potato bugs, no
scabs to contend with. Now we have
all three evil influences, and besides
our soil has gradually become poorer
1t has lost its humus. Unlike sweet
potatoes the Irish must have soil very
rlch IN humus to do well, to produce
200 or 300 bushels per acre 1t re-
quires more intelligent manuring than
ever.
The grower who would be successful
with this crop now must be sure of
several things. Have good soil, well
prepared and fertilized must provide
sound, smooth seed cut to two eyes.
planted as deep as the soil will ad-
init, without getting into the sub
soil. Must have ready to hand the
bluestone and paris green to fight the
blight and beetle promptly.
To prevent scab corrosive sublimate
VIII have to be used. immersing the
seed in a solution where one ounce of
1t is dissolved in forty gallons of water.
sulphur is safer and we have found ii
effective. But it is very tedious to
rub each seed cut we'll with sulphur
Merely sprinklng with sulphur will
not do. 1t must be we'll rubbed in.
To sum up: Good seed. good soil;
soil with humus in it.; soil well pull
verified; seed pieces with two ewes.
planted deeply and pressed into the
SOIL with the foot; provide against
scab; protect from blight and bug:
prompt and freCS1ent shallow cultiva-
ton; top dressing with good potato
fertilizer if young crop show lack of
food, keep the sweep or harrow cotrg
II drouth come. This is potato growing
in d nut she'll"