Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1910-04-22

still fnn ont the truo type at the
variety you are growing and pick out
that type for SEED.
Very large potatoes are nearly, as
Objectionable on the market as very
small potatoes. A menium-sized,
smooth and uniform lot Of potatoes are
what sell best and for this reason the
very large potatoes as we'll az. the
small and irregular shaped ones should
not be used for seed. 49,. .s,s-.s<s
THE BEST SOIL FOR POTATO
~'. : GROWING. @5a - T.
A sandy loan soil is best for
potatoes. . It should be we'll drained,
as potatoe, will drown out very
easily. Where it IS necessary to plant
on low land it is advisable to. ridge
the soil and plant on the ridges. -.
The best prepared soil for potato
crop is clover sod plowed shallow IN
the fall, manured during the winter,
mot too heavily-ten to nfteen loads
per acre. disked thoroughly IN the
spring and plowed a second time two
or three inches deeper than the first
blowing.
Frequent civilizations, from the time
the crop IS planted till mature, or as
long as the cultlvator can be run
between the rows, will pay amply.
After the vines are ten inches high
the cultivation should be shallow.
Deep cultivation cuts off the roots
that spread out in the soil to gather
the plant food.
POTATO DISEASES.
! Potato scab and blight are the only
diseases that may be commonly met
with and but few cases Of blight have
been reported in Northeastern Mime
sofa. Scab is not generally trouble.
some when potatoes are grown in
three or four years rotation and
especially when grown in a rotation
with clover. If scabby seed is not
planted and the crop rotated, there
| source.
Scab may be killed on the seed by
what is known as the formaldhyde
treatment. Formaldehyde can be
bought at any drug store. One pint
of water makes the solution for the
treatment. Put the potatoes in sacks
before cutting for seed ana submerge
in the solution for two hours.
Potato blight attacks the vines,
causing them to die, and is generally
followed by rot in the tubers.
The blight treatment IS known as
Bordeaux mixture. 1t consists of
i've pounds of blue vitrol, two pounds
of quick lime and fifty gallons of
water. the vitrol and lime to be dis
solved separately before mixing with
the water. and the agitation should be
thorough to insure complete solu-
ton. This IS sprayed on the vines the
same as Paris green and may be done
at the same time.
The treatment for blight must be
begun IN the early stages to be of
any effect. After the vines begin to
die, treatment is Of no benefit. To be
effective, the treatment should be
begun when the vines are about one
fourth developed. Two and three ap-
plications from two to three weeks
apart are required.
POTATO MACHINERY.
When potatoes are grown to the ex-
tent of three or more acres, 1t will
pay to use machlnery-the planter,
Esprayer and digger, and also the
potato cutter for cutting the seed.
The total cost of an acre of potatoes,
including rent of land, seed, labor
and cost of machinery, is from twenty
five to thirty dollars.
The average yield of potatoes on the
Northeast Experiment Farm for the
last SIX years has been two hundred
bushels per acre. The average price.
paid for potatoes or that received by
the farmer in Northeastern Minnesota
has been over forty cents per bushel
for the same length of time. In many
sections of Northeastern Minnesota the
average price has been over fifty
cents Der bushel. Estimating a yield
of one hundred and sixty bushels per
acre and q price of forty cents per
bushel, there would be a net profit of
th'rty-tour dollars per acre.
Potato growing should be
permanent part of our agriculture in
Northeastern Minnesota. Its i'm
portance is second only to the dairy
industry.
A. ]. MCGUIRE.
Superintendent Northeast Experiment
Farm, Grand Rapids, MINI.