The Forrest City times., 1904-05-27
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THEIRISH POTATO.
An Important Crop For the south, As It Gun He Grown at AL
 most Any Time.

This important crop can be grown almost any time in the south. The sea son for planting the spring crop be- gins in January and lasts until the first of June The fall crop may be planted nom July To September
 This wide range of planting is pos sible because the Irish potato grows in almost all climates. It seems equally at home in Florida and in Maine, in Virginia and in California. in Texas | and in Wisconsin. This crop knows | no north. no east, no south no west Wherever hungry man is found, this best of food plants is found It is | great crop for the farmer, the market gardener and for the field.
 But its value is best understood when we remember that 1t is. CT should be. found in every household or kitchen garden in the land. Every man that owns or uses spot of earth should plant Irish potatoes. A square rod may 6e made very profitable if made into lazy bed large farm may be cul- tiyated in them almost as easily as in any other crop. When we consider the | length of time needed 10 grow and gather them We find that il costs less 10 cultivate a crop of Irish potatoes than it does a crop of cotton.
 For field culture, prepare the soil very deep, and make it very fine. These are important points. If this is done we'll, the rest is easy Then spread abOHt thousand pounds of fertilizer broadcast and harrow it in This fer tilizer should be properly balanced, with the potash preferably in the form of suphate. Seven to eight per cent phosphoric acid, ten to twelve per cent. of postash and three per cent of nitro- gen makes good formula. Then lay off rows three feet apart and drop po- tatoes F to 16 inches. and put on about 300 pounds of the fertilizer in this furrow. and cover with one fur row. throwing on about four inches. of soil. This will do for the south; in the north they should be covered deep CT. When they are beginning to come up. blow out the middles and run weeder over, repeat this about every ten deys, Remember to be careful not to disturb the young tubers when they begin to form.
 But We wish to emphasize the impor- tance to every family of having a small patch of Irish potatoes The soil should be made good. not very highly ma nured Make it fine and then open a deep furrow and drop in the potatoes. Put on four to six hundred pounds of fertilizer as mentioned above. Put some rotting straw or leaves, or yard scrapng or lot rakings, two or three inches deep, in this furrow on the po- tatoes, and then cover.
 Do not let any crust remain upon this patch Run over with weeder or light harrow or hand rake often enough to keep the surface fine and destroy the weeds and grass As soon as they are well up, spray or sprinkle with Paris green. If the leave are eaten the po- tatoes will not grow. It is too late to wait to kill the bugs after they have eaten the leaves. They should find the ! poison on the vine when they hatch and die before they grow. In this case an ounce of prevention is worth a 1 pound of cure" We have seen the bugs sitting on the elods waiting for the potatoes to come up. Kill them before they eat the young leaves.
 A lazy bed" Is made by planting the potatoes one foot apart in the fur TOW and covering with another furrow
 planting potatoes in that furrow, and
 SO on, SO as 10 have them one foot apart each way. Then cover one foot deep with straw Repeat this covering every six months. To get the potatoes, simply run the hand under the straw
 This will furnish potatoes all the time and last for many years-Jas Hunni- cutt, in Farmers Home Journal