Milford chronicle., 1907-03-22
TALK POTATO GROWING
BEFORE MILFORD GRANGE.

At Milford Grange last Saturday A.
SeydeIl opened the discussion on the
topic of the day, Growing White Pc.
tatoes." He has not grown them in
such large quantities as many others
but has always had success with them.
He planted one barrel of seed potatoes
in hills between black berries and cult
waited both ways and thought he got
better and larger potatoes than when
planted in rows. He planted last year
three barrels of seed on land where
scarlet clover was turned under. He
put on 2 of a ton of truck fertilizer. The
seed cost $40 and fertilizer $500 and
he sold the crop for about SIS 90. de
sprayed with Bordeaux mixture and
arsenate of lead but thinks Paris green
much more satisfactory than the arse
nate of lead.
For early potatoes J. II. Short used
ground that had been sown to tuTnips
and scarlet clover the year before. he
puts on 400 pounds muriate Of potash
in the rows and sprays the plants three
times with Bordeaux and Paris green.
For late potatoes he would use sod land,
manure and turn under and cultivate
thoroughly, planting the crop in June
with fertilizer in the row. Spray four
or five times with Bordeaux and Paris
green with plenty of lime. This will
prevent blight as well as kill the bugs.
George S. Avery raised six or seven
acres of potatoes two years ago and
treated the vines to dry mixture COM
posed of land plaster, Paris green and
wood ashes. This was benefit to the
vines as we'll as death to the bugs.
John J. Rosa favOrs labOT-saving
machinery for all sorts of farm work.
Good potato planters and diggers are
on the market. No grower can afford
to do without them nor to spray the
vines and pick bugs by hand. Mr..
Rosa thinks the crop paying one even
at 25 cents a basket. The early crop
can be followed by COW peas and the
land planted the next spring to pota-
toes. How long this rotation could be
kept up he did not know. HealsO called
attention to the necessity Of guarding
against the scab. This can be done by
taking 6 ounces of corrosive sublimate
to 80 gallons of water and soaking the
seed in this. Take the seed out Oh a
table and sprinkle freely with sulphur.
In the absence of John Armour,
Charles Barker took up the Growing
of Sweet Potatoes" The kind sold has
much to do with the quality Of the
sweet potato. They need a sandy soil
that will not bake nor get hard. Plant
with machine and keep ground per
feetly fiat so the weeder can be used
rather than the hoe. Make the rows
three feet apart and plants aboHt fifteen
inches apart in the rows. Use 1000
pounds Of fertilizer per acre broad cast.
Where large crops are grown a potato
house is a necessity. Farmers can grow
sweet potatoes but the question is how
to keep them.
Nutter Marvel said potatoes had not
kept we'll for two years. He has better
success with the Cedarvllle potato than
any other variety. Red potatoes are
grown in New Jersey and there is a
market for them in Philadelphia but
New York does not care for them. Mr..
Cook said red potatoes shipped and
kept better than the yellow, and Will
liam E Hopkins thinks the yield from
two to four times more than the yellow.
Professor Brooks gave a review Of
what the Legislature had none for the
schools and in answer to a question eX'
plained the Local option bill.
Next meeting the subject will be
"Mellons for Profit" Leader, Nutter
Marvel.