The Colfax chronicle., 1904-06-18
FARMER ANDPLANTER.
THEIRISH POTATO.
An Important Crop For the South,
Az 1t Can BE 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
from July to September.
This wide range of planting is pos
sibIe because the Irish potato grows in
almost all climates. 1t 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 1t is a
great crop for the farmer, the market
gardener and for the field.
But its value is best understood when
we remember that it is, or 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
be made very profitable If made into
lazy bed. A large farm may be cul-
tivated in them almost as easily as in
any other crop. When we consider the
length of time needed to grow and
gather them, we find that it costs less
to cultivate crop of Irish potatoes
than it does 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
about thousand pounds of fertilizer
broadcast and harrow it in. This fer
tilizer should be properly balanced.
with the potash preferably in the form
of sulphate. 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
of rows three feet apart and drop po-
tatoes IL 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
er. When they are beginning to come
up, plow out the middles and run q
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 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
scraping or lot rakings, two or three
inches deep, in this furrow on the po-
tatoes, and then cover.
Do not Iet 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
IAN ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure" We have seen the
bugs sitting on the clods waiting for
the potatoes to come up. Kill them
before they eat the young leaves.
A ''lazy bed" is made by planting
the notatoes one foot apart in the fur
row and covering with another furrow,
planting potatoes in that furrow, and
SO on, so as to 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.