Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1906-07-26
CULTIVATION
OF POTATOES
There are Several THINGS
to Learn in Order TO
get Best Results.

l1OW oilOIlu pOldlOCS DC cared
for in order to get the best crops ?"
Superintendent Mcpherson was
asked.
In answering that question |
would assume that the ground had
been properly prepared and irriagt-
ed before planting, unless there
happened to be great deal of mois-
ture in the ground at the time of
planting. Potatoes should always
be planted in moist soil, in order
that they may have good start and
be kept growing in healthy con-
dition until about poisoning time.
In order to understand how to Gull
tivate and irrigate a potato we
must understand something of its
habits and growth. This fact should
always be borne in mind: 1t does
not make any difference how big or
how high tree or plant may be,
the roots are bigger and deeper in
the soil than the top is above the
ground. Another thing, potato
is not seed in the true sense of the
word. True seeds grow above
ground. The tuber, or poato, is
simply an enlarged portion of
stem. When the potato starts to
grow its roots begin to shoot
downward and outward, similar
to the shape of the top. In fact,
you can almost always tell the man
ner of root growth of any plant by
the appearance of its top.
LAS soon as the potatoes are
planted they should be narrowed
lightly and this operation should be
repeated every two or three days
until the plants appear above
ground. These operations conserve
the moisture, warm up the soil,
break up the crust which may have
been formed and destroy weeds. AS
soon as the rows are well formed
cultivation should begin in such a
manner that the dirt is constantly
drawn toward the rows. BY the
time it is necessary to irrigate the
potatoes the bitches between the
rows should have been formed by
cultivation.
''What is the object in cultivat-
ing toward the rows?"
THE roots of potatoes, if left
alone, will naturally run in a later
al direction one or two inches be-
low the surface of the ground. BY
the killing process they are driven
downward and away from the
light, thus giving them a bigger
feeding ground and allowing them
to spread. If the forming of the
bitches between the rows is defer
red until it is absolutely necessary
10 irrigate, the roots will have at
tained such a lateral growth near
the surface that the cutlivator will
tear them all to pieces. On the
other hand, if the hills are formed
gradually while the root system is
being developed, the roots will be
thrust downward out of the reach
OF the cultivator an the making of
bitches or corrugations for irrigation
will not be necessary. Of all plants,
potatoes demand the ascending or
capillary moisture. This can be
easily gotten by means of deep de-
pressions between the rows and
high hills.
Potatoes properly planted in
moist soil do not need irrigation
until they are in bloom. AT that
time they should have attained a
large and deep root stem, provid-
ing proper cultivation has been
practiced, and they are then ready
to develop the tubers. When irri-
cation begins the ground should
never be allowed to dry out again,
for if the growth of the potato is
checked the plant is practically
ruined. If the growth is allowed
tstop, by reason of insufficient
moisture, the tubers will not re-
sumo their growth when the water
is reapplied, but will form addition
al small tubers on each eye and
worthless clusters will result. AL
ways bear in mind that moisture
and not soaking is what is needed
and one cultivation is equal to an
irrigation. Potato rows should be
from 80 40 inches apart, and in
irrigating them the moisture
should never be allowed to meet
on top in the middle of the rows.
To muck water, or water applied
in haphazard manner, is often e
great detriment to the growth OF
the potato, affecting both yield and
quality"
when should the irrigation OF
the potato cease ?"
LAS soon as the balls, or true
-