American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-04-01

= rossible to get a perfect stand!
Realizing that the practicuai Va.uc
Of the contest would be lost, SO taI
as a field crop was concerned.
the winner did all the work by naho
On a single acre, we decided 10 use
horses and machinery in all opera
tons.
In order to break the crust which
had formed over the fleid ouIins
the winter we used a double action
disc harrow. This was followed Win
a drag harrow and was narrowed
several times at intervals OF one
week. BY the time we were 70
pIow nearly all the alfalfa was dead
All this discing had thoroughly mix,
ed the manure with the soil, and nau
created a dust mulch over the field.
Being afraid OF scab we applied only
twelve loads of manure to the acre.
This was put on In the spring while
we were killing the alfalfa. Being
SO thoroughly mixed with the o
and plowed under SO deep we had no
scab. but could have used more n
been safe as far as scab was con-
cerned. Before blowing we corrlgat-
ed and irrigated. We did this for
several reasons: First, to help get
a better stand; second, to carry the
crop along as far as possible before
further irrigation, for we had found
that the longer a plant can grow
and develop without irrigation the
better results; third, to cause the
manure to rot and get in such shape
that the planst could use it to the
best advantage; fourth, to supply
enough moisture SO that the soil
would pack, not bake, after it was
plowed.
AS 500 as the ground was dry
enough it was plowed from ten to
twelve inches deep. AS the surface
soil had been worked many times
before blowing, it was very fine and
made a perfect contact with the bot
tom of the furrow. This is very i'm
portant and we find that it pays to
disc before blowing for any crop.
This narrowing was very beneficial,
as the soil that is comparatively
compact with a dust mulch on top
will hold moisture longer than n
that is loose clear to the bottom OF
the furrow.
VIC WCiC IA Cpui ms thC oOii
we had been getting the seed ready.
The seed was selected true to type
and as near to size as possible. We
cut 1t to conform to the needs of
the planter rather than to our own
IDEAS. We found hat the planter
placed a piece about the size of a
hens egg to the best advantage, so
we cut our seed in squares about
that size. In cutting a potato we al
ways used as many cuts from the Sc
end as possible, each cut having one
or two eyes. The seed was treated
10 formaldahyde.
Acre No. l was planted from four
to five inches deep with Delmany
Challenge, the rows being 33 inches
apart and the sets eight inches apart
in the rows. Acre No. 2 was plant
ed the same distance with White
Peachblow. Being in doubt as to
planting eight inches in the row we
planted acre No. 3 with Red Peach
blow the same as acre No. 1, except
that the sets we're IL inches apart.
The eight inch planting required
1850 pounds of cut seed to the acre
and the twelve inch planting 1850
pounds.
The planting was commenced May
FL. The planted was set to ridge the
hills quite high. Immediately after
planting the land was packed with
a float made from four pinch plank
10 feet long. These planks were nail
ed together parallel to each other
overlapping about two inches. This
float ran over the high ridges the
same direction the planter ran press
ing the dirt around the set, and sin
1T leaves the surface smooth it has
a tendency to draw moisture up 7,
the seed. The ground should be
narrowed in a few days or too much
moisture will be lost.
After planting the next step was
cultivation. 1t was evident that if
we had planned to do any deep cult
waiting we must do it before the root
system had developed much. With
this In view We cultivated about eigh
inches deep as soon as the rows
could be followed. In about a week
we cultivated again. this time keep
Ing further away from the plants
II only five or six inches deep.
In these civilizations we made no
attempt to ridge. as ridging at this
point looses too much moisture. The
oultivating was done with an old
two horse corn cultivator. AS soon
as the plants showed signs of need
Ing water we hilled them up with a
winged shovel pillow and commenced
to cultivate Immediately. The OBJ
1ect in killing is to get a deep fur
row for ~irrigating and to cover the
potatoes.
After the first irrigation the plow
was run through again to cover the
potatoes more and to create a dust
mulch. The second irrigation was
within a week of the first n by
this time no further cultivation
could be done as vines had made
such an enormus growth. A third
irrigation followed in about ten days
which was the last. 1t is better not
to let the water soak clear to the
ion of the till as the vroupd will