The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-12-15
THE FIELD
Early Digging and Care of Potatoes.
II. L. Blanchard.

o''d So'S W
H. L. Blanchard
A subscriber in Okanogan county
sends the following question: Can
potatoes be dug in the latter part OF
September, when the vines are yet
green, and will they keep? About that
time the fall rains begin and then the
potatoes in the ground sprout."
Yes. potatoes can be dug at the
time stated, and the keeping qualities
not impaired. However, their quality
will not be equal to that had they
been allowed to ripen. In localities
where the season is short, or where
frosts come early and before the late
varieties of potatoes can mature, 1t is
the better plan to discard planting the
late varieties altogether, and plant
only the early and medium late va
rieties. In this way when planted
early, say March or April, and otnef
conditions are favorable, an equally
large yield and better quality will be
secured. The writer's plan for pota
toes is to plant only on well drained
land, and where the subsoil, when OF
tenacious or clayey character, does not
come within at least foot OF the
surface. Blight is becoming serious
disease with the potato crop here in
the northwest, and the writer's expert
ence and observation go to show that
this disease is generally confined to
those crops on low and undrained
lands, and where clay subsoil comes
within a few inches Of the surface.
When possible we pillow clover sod
from six to eight inches deep, turning
under a fair crop of the young clover.
This we do in early winter, and let
it lay until early spring, when we
thoroughly harrow after having ap-
piled barnyard manure at the rate OF
about five loads to the acre. 100
heavy manuring is apt to produce
scabby crop.
When planting time arrives, we
cross pillow about four inches deep
with twelve-inch plow, planting
good seed in every third furrow about
fifteen inches apart. We then harrow
until we'll pulverized. In about ten
days we go over the ground with
weeder-a spike-toothed harrow will
do equally WE'LL This is repeated as
frequently as every ten days and after
every rain, to conserve the moisture
and destroy the embryo weeds, When
the potatoes are four inches high we
substitute the spike-tooth cultivator
for the weeder. When the vines are
foot high we use the cultivator with
hoes throwing a little dirt about the
vines, being careful that the dirt from
either side of the row meets among
the vines, thus burying any weeds
that may possibly have started. AS
soon as the vines begin to spread out
and cover between the rows we use
the shovel plow, killing up we'll
AS soon as the vines are dead we
dig with horse pOtatO-digger, picking
up at once and pitting in good dry
location, using little air Stacked lime
sprinkled among the potatoes as pit
ted Cover them over with six inches
of straw and just enough earth to hold
the straw in position. Let stand until
through the sweat-abOut two or three
weeks-then cover with earth to a
depth of about four inches. Over this
on the south side of the pit lay few
rough boards or shakes, leaving
space between of about six inches. In
this way we, in the spring, when pits
are opened, find few, if any, rotten
potatoes and comparatively few
sprouts.