The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1904-12-13
GROWING IRISH POTATOES.
Further Suggestions About Fertizng, Narrowing and
Cultivating-How to Keep Down the Potato Bugs.

Messrs Editors In my first article last weel
we left the potatoes evenly planted in nicely pre-
pared ground four to six inches under surface
that plowed fully twelve inches deep, vel
manured and fertilized. Potatoes will bear fer
tilizing enrichment proftably beyond most othe,
crops, especially if it is put in the ground ad
vance of the potatoes so to become well assimi
lated with the soil will give here one years ex-
perience.
had some strong sheep manure in stall very
dry so that when chopped and mixed up it was al
most dust To this I mixed thoroughly five pounds
of ammonia to the hundred pounds of dust
and Immediately applied it to my potatoes (Which
were planted about as have previously described,
and at this time were mostly about three inches
high) Application was made by running a side
shovel plow along each side of the row. and strew-
ing the mixed fertilizer with horn getting it in
the burrows along on both sides of the pots; oes
about four inches from the main roots on each
SIDE / used about two hundred pounds to ihe
acre, at once throwing the dirt back to the pota-
toes by furrow each side; one furrow opeped
and finished before opening the other side 1t
rained the following night and it was a wonder
to see those potatoes grow and quickly bloom and
spread down, completely shading the rows The
yield was $50 bushels to the acre-partly es-
tmated-of the smoothest fine large potatoes
1 ever raised. 1 abundantly rewarded for
extra labor and fertilizer. The crop of wheat that
grew on that patch of ground the next year was
also a grand success that need not tell about
only the whole matter was an object lesson that
hoPe others will profit by more than I have
Now getting back to our planted potatoes:
just as the first shoots about breaking the
crust, harrow the rows lengthwise with a light
horn i
pulverize the ground. 1t is better to do this two
mornings In succession so the sun will surely kill
every weed and sprouted seed in the patch.
Thereafter it will be easy to keep the weeds down
and the potatoes will be easily worked IF there
is any danger of late frost when they are breaking
through, or ain inch high. them over at least
an inch deep; in fact, this covering treatment
seems to reinvigorate them and it again DESTROYS
all weeds in the HILL and with fair attention there
is no more trouble from weeds
A five seven tooth cultivator or. at largest q
small double shovel pow I prefer the cultiyator)
Will be sufficient with which to cultivate every
week or ten days until they bloom-but not after
that, except to cut the weeds or grass ont with
noes. 1t this is not DONE the weeds and, grass |
will grow very rapidly and large in Julv and
August, shading the crop, and with spell of
ram, is very apt to cause rot. This would mean
a loss of much fertilizer and patient labor. IF
they were planted and worked as I describe there
WIZ De no need for high heavy hilling up
against the potatoes; in fact, one year with an
other they are better without it: thonpb tbev ood
little loose dirt up to them each workino, Ill
they bloom.
The potato bug has made himself factor in no-
tato raising, and must have attention. have
never tailed to beat them when carefully pulled
every one OF the vines every other morning from