The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-09-23
PRESS BULLETIN NO, 7
Sou h Dakota State College
Experiment Station
THE IRISH POTATO is A VALU-
ABLE CROP

but that fact does not prove that we
can not grow the crop with profit.
While the average price for potatoes
TOR series of years has been only
nifty cents, the value Of the crop per
acre is greater than that of any of the
cereals. Aside from it's monetary
value, the potato is very valuable
crop to include in rotation where
small grains are to be grown. There
is no reason why this state should not
rank we'll with other states in potato
production when her climate and
soils are Of the first class for the cul-
ture OF this crop.
CLIMATE
The potato does we'll in cold moist
climate. The average yield per acre
is greater in the northern states than
in the south: and greater in Canada
than in the United States. The crop
holds an important place in the gen
eral system of farming in many of the
northern states in point Of cash re-
turns per acre. 1t not only thrives
best In cool climates of these states
but at the same time it is very pro-
ductlve where the climate almost for
bids the culture of corn.
SOIL
The soil considered best is a deem.
mellow, free working loan, grading
either sandy loan or a clay loan.
IT properly drained potatoes can be
grown on heavier types of soil.
The following are some of the rea-
sons for selecting the lighter soils for
potato growing:
l. Such soils can be worked very
early in the spring.
z. The light soils become warm
early in the season and the germina-
tlon OF the tubers proceeds more
rapidly,
3. They can be placed in good tilth
more easily than heavy soils and with
less labor.
4. Potatoes grown in these types
usually come out bright and clean
and more uniform in size.
3. The quality Of the potato is
better.
SELECTING SEED
Probably no other crop is influenced
more by selection than the potato.
Many growers have found that va
riety which will produce good returns
on one field may fail on an adjoining
area. For this reason it is quite
necessary for every grower to select
MS seed. The method is simple, and
can be carried on by any farmer, who
is careful with his work and in every
case he will be rewarded with better
yields.
90 out into the potato field and re-
lect your seed potatoes before you be-
gin to dig the entire field. Select a
plant that looks thrifty and vigorous
and which you think will have quite
number of potatoes. If you select
plant according to the above de-
scrlption, dig it up and see how many
potatoes you have. If this plant has
three or four small potatoes and one
very large one, do not save the pota-
toes from this plant at all. Why?
Because this plant has the power only
to produce three or four small DO
tatoes and one large one. So if we
plant either the small pototoes or the
large one OF this plant our result in
next years crop will be the same,
viz. three or four small potatoes and
one large one.
However, If you select plant of
the above description and find three
large potatoes and two small ones do
not save this plant for the above rea
sons, viz, that it can only produce
three large potatoes and two small
ones.
Select a plant of the above descrip-
tlon which bears four or five nice.
medium sized potatoes. Why? Be-
cause this plant can produce the above
| iiuhi'1Si VI lJOLdlOCS, dllu UlllS Size DO
tatoes are the best to sell on the mar
ket and also the ones that cook the
best. Remember that like produces
| like"
So if we we will go out in our DO
tato patch this fall before we begin
to dig, and select the seed potatoes in
the manner described, we cannot help
but have an increased yield for next
years crop
In making the study of the potato
plant, keep the following fact in
minds:
l. Those that seem to resist the
hot weather.
2. Those that seem to resist dis
ease.