Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-01-26

in pits quite well storage cellars are
better. These are made partially in
the ground. The excavation may be
to a depth of six feet. The walls
are made Of straw or saw dust and
straw covered with dirt constitutes
the roof. Large double doors are
at each end and those who grow
a large acreage have a driveway ex-
tending through the cellar. The bins
are on either side. When potatoes
are brought in they are spread out
abotu a feet deep and no more are
put on top until these have cooled.
The potatoes are piled five feet deep
when the bins are full. Ample pro-
vision is made for ventilation, the
aim being to keep the temperature
at from 80 to SO degrees. The tenn
perature should not go below 80
degrees though the potatoes will not
freeze should it droy of 2S degrees.
These storage cellars are for those
that grow potatoes on considerable
scale and may be made of such size
as the needs of the grower may re-
quire
Sorting and Marketing.
The market demands a medium
sized potato, as large potatoes do not
sell we'll on a discriminating market.
The grower should therefore aim TO
produce such potatoes. The selection
of good sorts and proper rate Of
seeding will aid in securing medium
sized potatoes. The potatoes are sort
ed in the fild or in the cellar. A
screen sorter having a l "a to ?
inch mesh is used. The small pota-
toes drop through and the big ones
are picked off the top. Certain Greel-
ey growers market potatoes $50 in
the sack. These bring $1.00 per hum
dred on the eastern markets. That
market calls for the Peachblow type;
Texas. the Pearl or Rural type and
Los Angeles a while. long potato
like the Burbank. A grower on the
plies the dining car service with a
uniform sized potato, weighing s to
l6 ounces at the uniform price Of
S1.OO per hundred on board cars,
regardless of market price
Potato Diseases.
Potato blight, so common in the
east is either unknown or negligible
as regards its injuries in southern
Idaho. Potato scab, however. is COM
mon. and occasionally damages a crop
to a greater or lesser extent. Anoth-
err disease, known as Rhizoctonia. is
quite prevalent in the state though
few recognize it.
Potato Scab.
All are familiar with this disease,
which is manifested by sore-like
blotches on the tuber 1t is caused by
a fungus, the spores of which trans
NIT the disease. Scab will not devel-
op unless the spores are present eth
err in the ground or on the seed plant
ed. This would suggest that by means
of disinfection of the seed clean po-
tatoes might be grown on clean land
1t has been demonstrated that this
may be done. However, the treatment
reduces the yield somewhat
Scab persists in the soil for a mum.
Der of years; we do not know how
many 1t is not possible. therefore. tc
rid the soil of scab in one or two
years, if at all. without doubt sol
conditions have something to do with
this though just how is not very
well understood It is a matter Of
common observation that an exces
sive use of water tends to induce
scabbiness in the potatoes. Particul
arly is this true if the soil is not KEEP
well drained. The practice of usins
deep burrows in irrigation is there
fore recommended by the most sue
cessful potato growers. The idea Il
to apply the water in burrows deer
enough so that the soil in which tn,
potatoes form is not saturated. The
statement that excess of water favori
the development of scab is not with
out exceptions though it is gener
ally true We know of instances where
clean potatoes we're produced in the
same field where 1t was drier. scab
by potatoes were found.
Though scab may persist in a fielC
number of years after potatoes
were grown there let no one conclude
that rotation is of no value as :
means of avoiding scabby potatoes foi
experienced potato growers asser
that it is.