The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1910-05-05
A PROFITABLE CROP.
The Potato is One of the Best Paying
Crops That the General Farm
er Can Raise.

CSNSD ANp ONNOHAS ~
great industry IN Pennsylvania
where the land Is suitable for the
purpose aud where a good mar
ket is easily accessible. We find
that IN the south, the central and
the eastern parts of the state
every farmer raises potatoes, the
patch varying from fraction of
an acre to many acres.
The potato Is one of the best
paying crops that the general
farmer can raise If handled prop
erly so as to keep disease from de
stroying the crop before 1t has ma
tured. In the first place the soil
should be properly cultivated be-
forehand Aclover sod is oneof the
best IN which to plent potatoes,
because it contains plenty of nj
trogen. The sod should be plow-
ed late in the autumn, or early IN
the spring if autumn plowing
does not suit. 1t is best to ma
nure the ground before plowing.
Atthe Agricultural Experiment
Station Of the Pennsylvania State
college, where experiments have
been conducted for four years,
the manure was applied IN Feb.
ruary at the rate of from nine to
IL tons per acre. The ground
should be plowed as soon as pos
sible after the manure has been
applied so as to hasten the de-
composition of the sod, In ex.
perlments conducted at the sta
ton named the potatoes were
planted about May 10.
During the growing season the
potatoes were cultivated twice
with a spike harrow and three
times with riding cultlvators.
The tests were conducted with 80
varieties of potatoes and the fol-
lowing gave the best yields for
the four years. Of the early va.
rletles-Six Weeks, 1872 bushels
per acre; Irish Daisy, 129 bush
els per acre; Pride of Michigan,
1877 bushels. Of the medlum m late
varletles-Early Puritan, 1873
bushels; Early Rose, 175 bushels;
Irish Cobbler, 108 bushels. Of
the late varieties - Wlnton 8
White Mammoth, 180 bushels;
Sir Walter Raleigh, 170 bushels;
Vermont Gold Coin, 178 bushels.
A word as to the treatment for
disease may be helpful to potato
growers. For potato scab, the
potatoes may be treated just be.
| fore planting with bichloride of
mercury or with formalin. The
latter is perhaps the better, for
the former is dangerous to han
die and the latter IS just as effect.
I've. The method of treatment is
to immerse the potatoes before
they are cut, IN solution of one
pint of formalin (40 per cent.
strength to 25 gallons of water
for one hour.
For potato blight, the potatoes
should be sprayed with bordeaux
mixture, the first spraying being
given about June Is and should
be applied every two weeks until
the middle of August. Paris
green can be mixed with the bor-
deaux mixture. In this way the
potato beetle will be killed at the
same time.
Potatoes should never be plant
ed on old ground if the previous
years crop was infected with
scale or scab, because the bacter
Ia live over winter and will be
sure to infect the new crop In
spite of all that can be done. Old
potato patches should be Guilt
vated at least four years with
some other crop beforereplanting
with potatoes again.
Although this is but short ar
ticle on the potato crop, 1t may
interest some industrious farm.
ers to try tolncrease Pennsylvan
la's potato crop. They may, get
for the asking, Bulletin SO Of the
Pennsylvania State College Elk
pertinent station, State College,
Pa, in which full particulars Of
the experiment run there are
given.