The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1909-01-14
INTENSIVE METHOD
IN POTATO FIELD.
Better to Raise 800 Bushels an Acre
Than Same Amount on Four Acres.

II one looks carefully over the crop
reports of all the states for different
crops In the year book OF the depart
ment of agriculture he will be apt to
be much surprised at the enormous
variation In the average yield OF pota-
toes for different years.
1t may be stated, however, that the
mean variation Is not SO great In the
case of the special potato-grOwing
states or in chose in which irrigation
is practiced.
Take Maine as an instance Of a spec
ial growing state. During the ten
years, 1896 to 1905, inclusive, the aver
age annual yield per acre for the per-
iod was 1855 bushels, and there was
only one year, 1887, in which the yield
fell below 100 bushels, and that year
Is was only f1fty-nine bushels. The
largest was 215 bushels in 1904 Mon
tana, where irrigation is practiced,
averaged 1854 bushels during the
same period and the variations were
between 104 and 176.
| The majority OF the states fall far
below Maine and Montana, and those
which constitute the middle southern
state and central west made an aver
age which was too low to make even q
fair profit possible.
| Some conclusions may be drawn
from these facts the should serve as a
stimulus for a better method of pOta-
| to culture.
| In Maine the soil and climate are
! specially suitable and the premium on
Maine potatoes has encouraged grow
ers to adopt a general line Of better
culture than is generally in vogue. In
| the irrigated states the soil is all that
is needed and the ability to supply
abundant moisture leaves to the in
dividual effort only the selection OF the
seed, and using the best methods OF
culture.
i But, however, favorable the ccndi-
tions may be In these sections, the
average production is far below the
yield of crops made by some men who
have had no specially favorable natura
conditions, and who made maximum
crops almost without ever failure
simply by doing first-class farming
The most notable illustration of this il
the case of one man l know in north
eastern Ohio, who often makes as higl
as 300 bushels of potatoes per acre
and who considers his crop grea
failure il he does not make a hundred
bushels.
The soil in the section where h
lives is not ideal for potatoes. In fac
it Is quite the contrary naturally, an
his own farm, when he began work O.
it, would not have made fifty bushel
j per acre. He has supplied the condl
tons himself that insure this splendi
4 success.
His land was not we'll drained, SO h
tile-drained it,
1t was poor, so he saved most care
fully all the manure from his stock, IL
Guiding the liquid manure, and put
on the land
III He adopted rotation of wheat, clo'
err and potatoes, because he though
clover was an absolute necessity in
rotation to keep up the SOIL
III The manure is applied either to tt
wheat or the clover, not to the pots
toes.
III He usually plants about twelve acre
in potatoes and his crop runs abo,
800 bushels per acre, while the ave
age in the state for ten-year perio
I Is 74-6 bushels.
1t, therefore, requires the averas
/ potato grower to plant little MOI
than four times as much land to g
the same yield of potatoes that he doe
The important point to be conside
ed in this general proposition
whether it would not pay the averai
| potato grower better to plant only on
| fourth of the land and put the expenl
required to raise the other tire
fourths in doing all the things needle
to produce four times as much p
acre. 1t is not an impossible thing.
is simply doing better farming; SO,
ing properly and using properly q
the manure, including the liquid, pr
noting the growth Of clover. using be
ter selected seed and doing bett
blowing and cultivation. And no dou
the undertaking is an emporta
factor, too. l am confident that Il
intelligent, Industrious farmer will fiji
this sort of farming far more satisfa
tory than any other.
IN THE DISTRICT OF THE FOURT
JTDTCTAT. DISTRICT OF TIL