Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-04-23
Harlv Potato Culture.

The farmer who brings In the first
early potatoes is sure to receive good
price in the markets.
With little care and patience pota-
toes can be matured for market by the
last week in July, ordinary seasons, and
perhaps before, II the conditions Of the
weather are favorable. OF course in
the northern part of the state the season
is little later. \
The soil should be thoroughly pull
verized. I prefer ploughiDg in the
spring. 1t is more apt to dry out quick
or than land that is ploughed in the fall.
A light sandy or red loam is the most
suitable for early potatoes. A good
plan to start potatoes early is to have
your seed in q warm place by the tenth
of April, and II they have plenty of light
the sprouts will start strong and green.
My early potatoes were planted May Q
in 1905, and May II in 1905. They were
as early last season as the season before.
Most of the early sorts were ready for
market the 25th of July.
make it rule to plant my potatoes
with the sprouts up. / think they are
earlier and will come up evener that
way. Do not be afraid of planting too
early. If the ground is little cold, and
the green sprout may not break ground
at once, it will be sending out roots all
the while, which will give it a good start
when the weather gets favorable.
think potatoes mature earlier on
fertilizer than any other manures.
use about IL per cent of potash (about
one ton to the acre), Is per cent of phos-
phoric acid, 8 per cent Of nitrogen.
Half is dropped with the potatoes, the
remainder when they are hoed the first
time. The more potash You use the
larger the crop you will harvest. While
phosphoric acid hastens their m maturity.
They should be sprayed soon as the tops
are six inches high. Spraying will pre-
vent the little flea which eats little pin
holes in the foliage which is apt to cause
blight, also it will prevent the beetle
from depositing Its eggs. Bordeaux
mixture is the best poison to use.
Broxal in the dust form Is good. 1t Is a
Bordeaux in q dust form, and can be
applied with a duster when the leaves
are damp. -,
In regard to the seed to use, l will
say there are good many early sorts.
planted eighteen early sorts last year.
| will give list of few of my most
favorable early and late sorts.
The Clarke's Pride is white potato,
oblong in shape and fair yielder, and
very early. The Eureka is white po-
tato, roundish in shape, a fair yielder
and very early. Early Pink is an early
potato, pinkish in color, flattish in
shape.
The Bovee is oblong, flesh colored
potato, about a week later than the
Clarke's Pride and Eureka. But it is
great yielder for an early potato. The
Puritan or Uncle Gideon, Quick Lunch
is very early but light yielder. Any OF
these sorts will mature In July.
You who saw my exhibit at the fair
at Waterville perhaps saw the Wonder.
full. consider it great yielder and
besides it is earlier than the Green
Mountain.
The Gold Coin and Carmons are
heavy yielders but very late. ! wish to
say you cannot expect as large q crop
from the early sorts as the late. | sold
potatoes last season for three dollars
and twenty-five cents per barrel in the
field; ten days later they dropped one
half in value. Plant one large piece
plant them early and you can dispose OF
them while the market is high.-Will N.
Savage in Turf, Farm and Home.