The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1904-04-09

scabby potatoes.
Now ms to seed it is very important to
get the right kind Of seed and it should
be uniform throughout the valley. One
of the main points about the Greeley
potatoes is the uniformity Of the pota
toes and it makes a great difference in
the market. DO not use the seed more
than one or two years. II you do it will
begin to run out When the seed be
gins TO run out the eyes get deeper. III
you select long potato, you will soon
have potatoes six or eight inches long
and il you select n knotty potato, you
will soon have a potato that is all knots.
Select smooth potato Of ordinary or
medium size. Greeley potato growers
prefer SINAI, pieces for seed about the
size you will get by cutting medium
sized potato into four or six pieces. But
Mr.. Grubbs experience ON the western
slope. which is about the same altitude
az this, has been that the larger seed is
the more desirable. They never use
seed that goes through an inch aud u
half screen. Get uniform potato and
you are not apt TO raise large and small
ones in the same hill. The eastern mar
kets prefer the medium sized potatoes.
They do not want over grown ones. The
hotels especially want the smaller ones
40 that one potato will make an order,
The western markets, however, prefer
the larger ones. Potatoes that have
been grown by irrigation are not dssir-
able for seed. Nj. Grubb gave an in
stance Of one potato that had been
grown ON his farm for twenty years and
had been under irrigation all that time
called the Perfect Peach Blow" How
ever, they never had but that one
variety OF that character. The seed
should be renewed at least every two
years. DO not use scnbby potato nor
one that has track like growth on it
for seed. These little tracks that look
like angle worm tracks make their
appearance upon potatoes after field
uar Decbuc dHtcPu anu SucH Vutauer
are unfit for seed. Select not only
good variety but a strong and vigorous
seed Of this variety aud keep the ,arie
tles pure. Do not bc afraid To pay for
the seed. II !, better to pay more than
the market price. than Ia get poorer
grade of seed. II You have good seed 10
select from. moving II from light Ia
heavy soil ~ good plan. but do not
take seed from heavy soil Ia n light
one. Potato growers Of Greeley used To
get their seed from Wisconsin. but now
it is not considered desirable and most
OF their seed comes from til. diyiJ. In
eastern Colorado. The main crop in
Greeley consists OF Mammoth Pearl
which Is late variety. tn. red potato
| il earlier still than the Pearl. but there
I Is no demand iof red potato. Denver
/ used Ia lee market that required red
POTATOES. but they use the Whit. ones
nov altogether. la cutting your seed
/ do not cut too unit, ahead. Cut them
about one day before planting. not
more thhn iiy. days and Mt least n day
a. they should be- dr! on the surface
I before they are plant-d. Perhaps Ia
I this valley It would be- Well Ia USE the
[ larger pieces tor seed ESPECIALLY "a th.
/ light aud dry -oil. NAM prefer u potato
/ with a single -pfout or -t.un a. It make
n stronger plant. Some hay. bought
! alfalfa hay aud spread 1t ON the ground
/ To IL. ploa.d under 10 order Ia enrich
/ the soil. but asst viii bot bring up tn.
l ingredients from irlos a. III. alfalfa
does that Is rooted i've or ten feet deep
you can .-c that 4, will not do a. much
good - alfalfa or peas that hsy. been
grown 90 the ground. Alfalfa aud I-,s.
are the tr-st sub ~Diirr-.
In planting your potatoes, II - i'm.
tortAnt To have the ground Ia moist
condition before they are put Ia. They
should b- planted about four inches
deep. To, more than that or the plant !.
apt 10 come Up weak. Plant eight or
t.r hills to ia. rod aud the rows should
be- from thirty eight to forty inches
apart. II the ground Is sub irrigstine.
they can be planted closer together.
Early potatoes can al-n - plantcd clo-rr
together .. they do not grow - lsrgo.
Mr. Cfubb u-usliy plAot- hi- tots,n--
about t~rl,r inches apart ia the fo~
but where the, are planted ~ cius~
there might h. -Jm. trouble IN irrigst