The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-05-21
HOW TO PREPARE THE LAND AND
WHEN AND HOW TO
PLANT.
IRRIGATION METHODS
CARE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO
KEEP GROUND DAMP BUT
NOT soGGY.
BY W. Paddock Of the Colorado Asrt
cultural College.

cultural College.
Use alfalfa sod whenever possible
Pillow in the spring, from the latter
part Of April to the middle Of May
usually about eight inches deep. FIN
ish the days work by narrowing all
the land that has been plowed \Mh
smoothing harrow. After the ground
has been plowed see that it is well
leveled so that there will be no high
or low places. Harrow a sufficient
number of times to put the ground in
fine filth; use disc If necessary.
The seed is planted with one of the
standard makes of planters. AS four
horses are commonly used on
planter the ground will be pretty
thoroughly packed. To relieve this
condition the ground is cultivated i'm
mediately after planting. This Will
help to kill out weeds and alfalfa. A
heavy four-shovel cultivator drawn by
four horses. is used. The snovels are
set to throw the soil toward the rows
and to run as deep as they will CO.
The depth will vary from eight to
twelve or thirteen inches. This OPP
Grafton leaves the soil loose, but more
or less lumpy. and with an uneven
surface, especially on heavy soils. the
smoothing harrows should immedi-
ately follow the cultivator to re-estab-
lish the soil mulch.
The number of civilizations depend
upon weather conditions and upon the
rapidity of the growth OF the vines.
The cultivator is used second time
as soon as the plants are large enough
so that the rows can be easily fol-
lowed This time the shovels are not
run quite so close to the row. but to
the same depth, unless the plants are
much developed. Sometimes two cul-
tivations are all that are given, but
ordinarily a third follows the second
by week or ten days, and If the' mes
do not get too large or irrigation be-
comes necessary, cultivation is con-
tinued Each time the cultivator is
used more soil is thrown towards the
potato rows and the hollows become
deeper; thus ditching is easily done.
Ditching and irrigating are delayed
as long as possible. The rule is not
to irrigate If it can be avoided until
the potatoes are in bloom or the tubers
are set.
The ditching is done with narrow
double mouldboard pillow. Three horses
are attached and the pillow is run twice
in each row at about the depth OF Gull
| tN,, To, TO fyrn inrhaG
ditchlng takes the place of one cult
walton, and if the ground is hard, or IL
the first irrigation fills the bitches to
any extent, the operation is repeated
so as to make the bitches deep
enough to keep the water below the
! surface of the potato ridges.
From the above it will be seen that
much attention is given to keeping the
soil loose and porous; also that the
potatoes are grown in high ridges.
this system has been evolved gradu-
ally by our best growers in an uncon-
scious effort to combat disease. 1t Is
complete success on good potato soils,
and much may be done with the heav-
/ Ter soils by following the plan men-
| toned.
] The details of irrigation. manner OF
| laying out the rows, etc. do not need
! to be described. But there are few
Z simple points which are essential to
/ success. First do not irrigate pota-
/ toes up If it can possibly be avoided.
Wetting the land at this time is Ivy
/ likely to bring on attacks of H1se
which will result in poor stand and
serious injury to tho plants through
out the growing senson.
Ordinarily the first irrigation should
not he given until the tuhern arc set
II the tubers hnvo II chance to form In
a comparatively dry aoil. the majority
of them will he formed NJ ono time;
then when water Ia applied all Will
have an cuunl chance to develop: the
result should be crop or even'sized
potatoes.
Tho wnter should alwaya run shall
low In the fuffown, never deep
enough to stand around the tuhcrs. but
n sufficient amount applied 40 that
tho moisture may seep M INTO the
ridges In this way the soil ahout the
growing tubars may he kent damp but
moi nosey. tbis 10 the ideal condi-
,iou for the rrta,a plant but unfavor-
pbia for the growth OF petate diseases.
An effort sheun he made to keep
Tho soii W6ls,Wia uniform by frequent
iiabl ,trieailens " The ground Ia al
iowej IL beecfe dry. the growth OF
lhs tJbeys 10 checked then when wa
,eg 10 aealn anpiied, second growth
starjs l., which resuita In knobs ana
Iigsae,,iss ryewths The tuhern of some
ysfie,iss efseh badly under this treat
matt,
Il i, 10 essential that the potatoes
sNs.ii ,.a,wse " comparatively dry
seii II tse se, 70 hept wet until mar
tesl ,it.e tte tuners eentai" an ex'
eess 81 .ies,Hse and thls necessarily
ses,,its ~ 1855 uua's'N Then. too, po-
tsiees anr when me coll la wet pre-
sest 4 1885, snpeasanee on tho mar,
het teesuee 81 the quantity OF SOL
wtieh * bGnnt te stitch 70 them,