Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-10-08
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPEED THE PLow."

AMONG THE FARMERS.
| "srEED THE rLow."
Correspondence on practical agricultural topics
ID solicited. Address all communications In
tended for this department to HENRY D.
HAMMOND, Agricultural Editor Oxford Dem
ocrat, Paris. Me.
Cultivation and Care of Potatoes.
The potato thrives best in a cool,
moist soil, which is deep and easily
pulverized. Sod when well rotted and
thoroughly fined, we have found to be
the best land for the growth of potatoes.
1t is very important that the land be
we'll plowed. 1t should be plowed deep
enough to make available an abundance
of mellow soil. If enough time is spent
in the autumn in thoroughly pulverizing
the ground, it will do much toward saw
ing the labor that many of our farmers
put on to their crops during the hoeing
season. After blowing, harrow thor
Oughly before planting, as after the po-
tatoes are planted there is no more op-
portunity for stirring the soil in the row.
On those farms where large stock is
kept and fertility of the soil is kept up
with the flocks and herds, a much small
or amount of chemicals is required to
produce good crop of potatoes than on
land which is in low state of fertility.
1t is better not to apply fresh barnyard
dressing Immediately to the potato crop,
but to crop preceding. For good re-
suits in rotation of potatoes, grain and
grass, barnyard dressing should be ap-
piled after the grain crop. This will
give rank clover growth and the sod
when plowed under makes good
foundation for potatoes. If too much
encouragement is given to the small
grains, lodgment is almost universally
the result. When corn is to follow pota-
toes, the barnyard dressing may be ap-
piled after the potato crop. Where the
supply of stable manure is limited, and
chemical fertilizers are depended upon
exclusively, good results have been OBJ
tanned with potatoes from the use of
about 1900 pounds of high grade fertil-
izer per acre.
In order that potatoes may be grown
the most economically it is necessary
that great care should be used in the
planting. There is probably no crop
that requires more accuracy in planting
than potatoes. The rows should be
exactly straight, and the distances be-
tween the rows uniform. Then all the
machinery used will do its best work.
One piece of machinery follows another,
and if the first does its work we'll the
others can perform their work with
equally good results. The progressive
farmer is studying how to raise large
crops with as little hand labor as posi-
BILE, and care in planting will facilitate
the work of the machines. Also, when
the rows are straight, many less pota-
toes will be SCARED by digging.
The seed should be clean and the
eyes of the potatoes should look strong
and bright. Then the plant will come
up healthy and vigorous. Cultivation
after planting is very important point.
have found, in my travels over the
state visiting the various fields, that
many of the farmers fail to understand
the importance of early cultivation. II
has served me best when have cultivat-
ed my potatoes early and often. Cul-
tivate before they break the ground and
pear. In that way many weeds are de-
stroyed that later in the season would
have required labor with small hoe.
Successful extensive potato culture
means that machinery must do all of the
work during the entire growth of the
potatoes. Frequent cultivation will re-
duce to a minimum the hand labor
necessary, and also conserve the soil
moisture.
The potato diseases which are most
prevalent are blight and scab. The
early blight usually appears from the
middle to the latter part of July, during
hot, dry weather, and is not generally
accompanied by rot. The late blight
usually appears in August, and if the
weather is warm and moist it will spread
very rapidly. This is usually accom-
panied by rotting of the tubers, and
often causeS great loss to the crop.
Spraying with Bordeaux mixture, if
thoroughly done in season and repeated
at proper intervals, will largely prevent
blight. The multitudes of experiments
in this line which have been carried on
at various experiment stations in the
different states we believe have con-
clusively shown that spraying is profit
able and practicable for the average
farmer, and that when properly done it
more than pays for the trouble and ex-
pense involved. 1t is true that in some
seasons, when all conditions are favor
able, great yields have been received
from potato fields that have not been
sprayed. But it is not safe to omit the
spraying, for no one can tell when the
conditions may change, and the Bor-
deaux mixture must be applied before
the spores of the blight strike the pota-
toes. II spraying does not in all in
stances entirely prevent rot, it always
reduces it and increases the yield when
rot is troublesome.
Spraying should be commenced when
the plants are four to six inches high,
and repeated with every new growth of
four to six inches, in order to keep the
plants we'll covered with Bordeaux
throughout the season. The sprayer
should be of high pressure, and if the
season especially invites blight the po-
tatoes should be sprayed both up and
down the rows. With this extra care,
no leaf of the plant will escape the ap-
plication. When blight is prevalent 1t
uudy uc uCVcoo@ty W oph"y 80 OAsSA %S
once a week. The formula for Bordeaux
mixture is as follows: Copper sulphate
(blue vitiroD, pounds; fresh lime (un-
slaked) pounds; water, 80 gallons.
The copper salt is dissolved and the
lime slaked in separate vessels.
Dissolve the copper sulphate in about
two gallons of hot water in a wooden or
earthen vessel by stirring, or by sus-
pending it from the top of the vessel in
cloth bag; pour the solution into the
tank or barrel used for spraying and till
one-third to one-half full of water.
Slake the lime by the addition of a
small quantity of water, and when
slaked add two or three gallons of water
and stir freely. Pour the milk of lime
thus made into the sulphate solution,
passing it through brass wire strainer
of about 80 meshes to the inch mo. 50)
or through cheese cloth backed by
common window screen. Stir constant
ly while adding the lime. Add water to
make the amount desired.-Maine Bulle-
tin of Agriculture.