Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1911-05-18
HOW WATER HELPS POTATOES

rigator, a journal of the irrigated
region of the Northwest, gives the
following very rational outlines Of
potato growing by irrigation. AS
nearly all the ranchers in this
section of Nevada raise more or
less potatoes every season. the
Independent reproduces the article
for their benefit:
There is no particular number
of times during the season that
potatoes should be irrigated. The
idea that there is, is fundamentally
false, although it is followed by
some growers and usually ac-
companied by failure. The question
is simply whether or not the plant,
at a given time, is in need of water.
Before planting potatoes, the
land should be irrigaed no matter
how damp the soil may appear to
be ct the time of planting. The
ground should be ditched with an
ordinary hay di,cher and the
water run over it for a period
that will vary from one to four
days. If land is new from sage.
brush it will probably need to be
watered three or four days. You
can judge whether it has been
watered enough when the ground
is thoroughly soaked, in fact,
muddy. In this first watering you
can hardly get the ground too
wet, so that the moisture will 90
down into the soil eight or ten
feet. thus providing, for six weeks
or two months, plenty of moisture
from beneath. After the ground
has dried out sufficiently for a
horse to stand upon it, it should
be plowed deeply. 1t should then
be narrowed down fine when it is
ready to be planted. Potatoes
may be planted IL, Is or 18 inches
apart depending on the richness
of the soil, and the use of large
piece Of seed is advisable. 1t pays
to give the plant plenty of sus-
tenance at the start. The potato
patch will not need watering now
until il is in bloom, if these
directions have been completely
followed out.
Keep cultivating after the
plants come up continually ard
don't be afraid to cultivate with
the spike-tooth harrow after they
are four or five inches high as the
very few that you will damage
with the cultivator-tecth will be
nothing compared with the benefit
derived. While the plants are in
bloom it is wise plan to keep an
eye on the patch from day to day
and if you find any place, as you
look over the field, where the
vines are turning dark in color it
means that they need water and
it is time to begin irrigating. In
any event, the plants should be
irrigated before they has gone
out Of bloom. for the reason that
it is at the time Of blossoming
that the tubers set, AND the number
of tubers which will set upon the
plants depends IN a measure upon
the amount of moisture in the soil.
OF course If your plants turn
dark before blossoming, 1t means
that there Is not enough moisture
in the soil, and you had bette r
irrigat e, but this will not occur il
sufficient irrigatiDg has been done
in the beginning.
After the first irrigatiDg, when
the plants are in bloom, the only
rule which can be given Is to ir-
rigate the patch as often as it is
necessary to keep the soil four or
five inches below the surface of
the ground nicely moist. so that
when you reach your hand in and
bring out handful of II in the
grip Of the hand, and open the
hand again, the dirt will clearly
show the indentation of the