Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1912-05-16
Planting Potatoes.
BY Professor j. II. Shepherd,
North Dakota Agricultural
College.

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+ 1893 :. X !. :. i. !. !. !. :. + :.
THE TIME OF PLANTING should
be regulated in accordance with the
soil, climatic and market conditions.
Early planting gives the best results.
The ground should be warm enough
so that the cuttings will grow soon
after planting or there will be danger
of rotting. If there is danger of frosts
after the plants are up they may be
hilled up until the danger has passed.
Good judgment alone will determine
the time to plant, but the vines will
stand light frosts.
METHODS OF PLANTING vary to
some extent, but where large areas
are to be grown the machine planter
is the only practical way. If a good
planter is used and care is taken to
regulate it good work can be done.
THE TRENCH SYSTEM is used to
some extent in a few localities, but it
Is more costly when the time taken is
considered and no more efficient. A
furrow is made in which the cuttings
are dropped and covered thinly. The
furrow is then filled up by cultivation
as the young plants develop until the
soil is level. 1t is an effective way to
keep the weeds in check, but it is not
essential. The only merit it possesses
is the warming up of the soil and
starting the plants somewhat earlier.
The trench system is not practical
when large areas of potatoes are
grown.
DEPTH OF PLANTING is another
practice which should be regulated by
several conditions-soil, climate, time
of planting, moisture and cultural
methods. In dry seasons deep plant.
ing is best. When everything is con-
sidered, three to four inches will prove
to be the best depth to plant. Less
shallow and more than four inches
deep planting. Four inch planting
gave AZ per cent heavier yield than
three inch planting and s per cent
more than any greater depth Of plant
ing, in trials at this station in planting
three, four, five, six, seven and eight
inches, respectively. Deep planting
produced the best quality and the
largest per cent of merchantable tn.
bers.
Deep planting will be found advis.
able on weedy land, as the harrow
may then be used freely without dam
aging the crop. Deeper planting
should be practiced on dry rather than
on wet soils. If the potatoes are
planted for an early crop while the
soil is cold, shallow planting will be
best.
THE DISTANCE APART TO PLANT
the pieces is Influenced by the size
Of the seed piece, the fertility of the
soil and by the variety. A good aver
age distance would be twelve to six
teen inches apart in the row and the
rows thirty-two to %thirty-six inches
apart. The Early Ohio, for instance,
has small vines and so could be plant
ed closer. When the vines are full
grown they should cover the ground
fairly we'll.
Close planting gives a more uniform
product and hence there will be fewer
understandable potatoes. Two things
are secured by comparatively close
planting-a large yield and a more
marketable crop. At this station
Early Ohio potatoes planted in three
and one-half foot rows at twelve in
tervals of ten to thirty-six inches gave
regularly diminishing yields as the in
terspace was increased. Ten inch
planting give 81 per cent greater
yield than twelve inch planting.
HILL VS.. DRILL PLANTING needs
little discussion. The drill method is
being universally adopted. 1t is a
wise move and experiments show it is
in the right direction. If a planter is
used it correctly answers the ques-
ton. Hill planting is not satisfactory.