West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-08-12

ilu' ANl-iOTAIOlaj LIFT IN PILE.
rs good yield us drilling, provided
tho drilled potatoes nro kept FREQ from
weeds. Tho checked potatoes can DO
cultivated botn ways and kept clean
with but littlo hand labor and will
yield more than weedy patch planted
twice as thick Tho feasibility OF the
plan depends entirely upon the rela-
two cost OF land and labor.
"A good narrowing after tho plants
arc two or three inches high VIII do
stroy many weeds ana loosen tho dirt
In tho row. Deep planted potatoes arc
not Injured by such narrowing. A
few days after this tho cultlvator
should DO started and tho field cult
waited once week or oftoner until tho
blossoms appear 1t pays to hoo or
pull any weeds that como UP I'm tho
rows. No ono thing Will reduce tho
Yield OF potatoes moro than weeds.
Tho ground should DO left nearly level
Mt tho last cultivation. Deep planting
makes killing unnecessary.
Spraying For Insects and Diseases.
Tho potato beetle Is the ono serious
Insect enemy OF tho potato crop. Tho
most prevalent disease other than scab
Is blight. This affects the leaves. caus-
Ing them TO turn black and curl up.
Both blight and beetles can DO readily
controlled by spraying with bordeaux
paris green mixture. This is made as
follows: -Four pounds copper sulphate,
four pounds fresh lime, four ounces
paris green and fifty gallons of water.
Dissolve tho copper sulphate In TWEEN
ty-fvo gallons OF tho water and the
lime In the rest. Then pour tho two
solutions together. Mako tho paris
green into paste with a llttlo water
ana stir 1t into tho mixture. It pays to
have good hand sprayer to apply this
solution or n power machine if many
acres arc grown. A hand sprayer can
be bought for So or so. nc equipped
with two MOBILES so as 60 take two
rows at onco It Will not tako more than
an hour TO go over an mere. Tho en-
tiro expense, including tho labor, will
DO repaid several times over by the in
crease I'm yield. Three or four spray
ings VIII DO sufficient, starting about
the time tho plants arc six inches high
ana continuing ut intervals OF week
or ten days until they are In bloom.
Digging the Crop.
Where largo acreage OF potatoes IS
grown or where several neighbors each
raise few acres every year, digger
is paying Investment. 1t leaves tho
tubers on top OF the ground I'm good
shape TO be picked up and gets prac-
tlcally oil Of them. Where only a few
are grown they can DO forked out, but
this Is slow Job. Tho most common
practice Is to plow them out. By pick
Ing them up after tho pillow, then har-
rowing twice and picking up after each
narrowing, few will be left. If the
Held IL SO located that the hogs can be
turned I'm on IL, they get all that were
missed. AS soon MS dug, which should
DO before severe freezing weather, tho
potatoes should DO piled up and Gov
cred with straw and dirt. Here they
may be left until tho ground begins 10
freeze, when they may DO put I'm tho
cellar or hauled to market. If the plie
Is on well drained place Il may be
covered with foot to eighteen inches
or straw and as much dirt and safely
left TIL spring. There are many potato
growers, especially those OF foreign ex-
traction, who never keep their crop IA
any other way. While tho dry indoor
method has numerous advantages, such
as readiness for use I'm all weather and
convenience OF handling. there Is much
10 commend tho outdoor storage plan.
There ore even those who contend that
tho favor OF the tuber Is only 60 be
maintained by storing it in tho pit.