The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-02-11
WESTERN POTATO CULTURE
e. H. Grubb, Potato Expert, Tells
How to Raise Fine Tubers

The natural home of the potato is
the mountain valleys of South Amer
lea. Where natural conditions are
favorable for the growth of plant,
there it will reach the highest de-
gree of perfection. In the mountain
valleys of Colorado are found condi-
lions of altitude, soil and moisture
naturally favorable to the growth of
the potato with an almost entire alb
sence of harmful freezes and bacter-
ial enemies.
Preparation of the Soil
In providing a suitable soil for po-
tatoes the question naturally arises,
How shall we perfect and husband
fertility? Live stock is the real basis
of success in every agricultural dis
trict of the world. The feeding of
grains and grasses on the farm re-
places in the soil the vegetable mat
ter which produces the humus and
furnishes the nitrogen that keeps up
the fertility of the soil. In the noun
tain country, where water is a prime
requisite, it should be remembered
that there is no better storage for
water in the soil than decayed vege-
table matter, and If one grows grain
crops and ships them off every year,
his land will become less porus and
harder to work, and fungous diseases
will more rapidly find Judgement
there. 1t Is utterly impossible to
grow good potatoes without an open
porus soil.
Nnthinu hlIf hn loo, alfalfa
or clover-should be, used as foun-
dalton crop. The writer grows clover
or alfalfa, one or the other (some-
times BOTH, for three or four years
previous to potato crop. The soil
is broken up in the fall quite deep.
The winter freezes disintegrate the
soil and loosen it from the roots,
thus putting 1t in fine mechanical
condition for the seed bed. Fall plow-
ing Is beneficial for the additional
reason that 1t puts the soil in better
condition to receive and store heat
from the rays of the sun than spring
blowing. In the spring the fall plow-
ing should be worked over with
disk or spring-tooth harrow until
1t is thoroughly fined. The seed bed
should be put in as good filth as. a.
garden. by repesTssd'' hass ROW wings. It
Is very Ok tant that the soil be well
nne22 and we'll firmed in order that
The root system of the young plant
may be able to secure plant food as
quickly as possible.
Use Of Planting Machines
Planting potatoes by hand on any
large scale is out of the question on
account of the expense. The large
potato grower can of course afford
the most modern machinery. In a !
community of small potato growers
1t Is possible for them to own machin-
cry jointly, and thus avoid any large
expense to the individual farmer. |
The two most expensive machines
connected with potato growing are
the planter and the digger. A plant
er will cover or 6 acres day, so
that during the planting season, in
the irrigated regions of the West,
one planter will cover 100 acres. A
good planter will cost about $40 in
in the West, and this expense divided
among 10 farmers growing 10 acres
each is trife.
A word of caution about the type
OF planter Is perhaps desirable. There
are some planters which pick up the
seed potatoes by means of prong or
fork which breaks the skin of the
tuber. This exposes the potato to
any germs of potato diseases which
may be present in the soil. Further
more, 1t carries any germ disease that
may be on some of the seed potatoes
to others. There are planters which
pick up the potatoes in such way
as not to break the skin. This point
Is especially important in planting !
whole seed. In planting cut seed
there is still the danger of transfer
ring the disease from one piece of
potato to another. Whatever planter
may be used, someone should ride on
the machine to see that it works reg
ularly, SO as to give as nearly a per-
feet stand as possible.
The improved planters of today