Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-07-07
Time TO HARVEST TUBERS
Often Good Potato Crops Are
Spoiled by Digging Too
Soon or Too Late.
BY G. S. coRNMAN,

No man who pretends to be farmer
would expect to get a good yield OF
any crop, no matter how carefully
tllled and cultivated, if he did not har-
vest 1t at the proper time, and YET
many of those who take good care OF
their grain and look well to their fruit
VIII leave their potatoes in the ground
waiting for q convenient season for
digging them.
IhlS is great mistake and often
leads to considerable loss in bulk by
rotting or sunscald, or both, besides in
nearly every case causing deterioration
in quality.
When any annual plant arrives at
maturity growth ceases and leaf, root
and stem, which have been engaged in
nourishing the seed, die, and this is
the stage at which harvesting should
begin. So the only proper time to dig
potatoes is as soon as the tops are
dead.
Then the tuber is at it's best. If al
lowed to remain in the ground the in
huence of the sun and rains of autumn
VIII cause new growth to start and
some of the tubers rot, and all are in
Jured to greater or less extent in
quality.
Starting new growth or germi-
nation produces change in the tissues
of the potato which makes it unfit for
food In the colder sections of the
country, where potatoes rarely ripen till
the most pressing summer and fall
work is done, there is not so much
danger Of spelling potatoes by late
digging, for as long as the plant is
growing no harm is DONE It is in To-
caltt1es where the bulk of the CROP
hpens in midsummer or early fall.
When other farm work is pressing, that
there is temptation to leave the no.
tatoes in the ground till there is more
lime.
Don't do this. Take day to dig the
potatoes, and when you have them off
the patch sow it to rape or rye, or both,
tor green feed for the fowls, and you
will say it paid the best of any days
work ever done when you enjoy eat
ing the best potatoes ever and see
your poultry enjoying the green's pro-
v1ded for them.
For the farmer who grows potatoes
on scale too small to warrant in
vesting in a potato digger there is no
as little work as possible than to plow
through the row with common stub
BILE plow. providing the row can be
easily Followed, then turning and
throwing the soil in the opposite direc-
ton.
Do this with every row and let the
plckers follow and pick up every po-
tato that is visible, placing them care
fully in bushel crates. When the whole
patch has been thus gone over the tu-
bers secured should be removed from
the Held and the ground carefully har
roWed, which will result in uncovering
some of those which may have been
hidden by the earth.
Next cross harrow and pick up all
the potatoes in sight and if the work
has been thoroughly done and the pick
ers have keen eyesight there will not
be enough potatoes left in the ground
for an Irishman's dinner.
Should the ground be weedy, or if |
1t is hard to follow the rows for any
other reason, the whole area should be
plowed just as if crop were to be
planted.
When this is done the potatoes plowed
out by one furrow must be picked up
before another is turned, OF they will
be partly covered, and no subsequent
narrowing will bring all to light again.
Another point to remember is to
plow just deep enough TO get below the
potatoes that none will be cut or dam
aged.
Try to dig when the ground is dry
enough to plow without glazing" for
then the earth will not cling to the
tubers, but mostly shake off in han
ding. Be as gentle as if picking apples
and there will be no bruised and rotten
potatoes.
Remove them from the patch in the
crates into which they were picked and
place them in an open clubhouse where
they may have a free circulation of
air but not be exposed to the sun.
Cover the floor space to a depth of
not more than eighteen inches then
put on gunnysacks, hay, straw or any
kind of litter that will exclude the
light.
If the floor available will not hold all
the potatoes build platform a few
inches above the potatoes and treat
the second layer the same way.
When there is danger of freezing in
this exposed situation remove to cellar
till used. Always sort them before
permanent removal and place all
sized ones by themselves;
then there is no tedious picking over
when wanted and a better price is Sc
cured than when sold without sorting.