The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1912-06-20
MACHINE FOR POTATO
Many Different Types Are Manu-
featured for Culture.
There Should Be No Great Difficulty
For Grower to Select Those Types
Best Suited to His Condition
and Purpose.

(By PROF. J. H. SHEPHERD, North
Dakota Agricultural College.)
Good machinery must be employed
for the economic production OF pota
toes when more than five to ten acres
are grown. There are many different
types OF machines manufactured
adapted to all the different operations
necessary in potato culture. Some are
better suited to one kind Of soil and
its culture than others; yet, there
should be no great difficulty for the
potato grower to select those types
suited to his condition and purpose.
The Buyers Guide and the Farm I'm.
plement News, both published in Chi.
cago, advertise practically all farm i'm.
Elements manufactured. One OF these
catalogues should be secured by
everyone who uses much farm ma.
chinery. Farm papers also carry ad.
vertising for many OF the best manu-.
facturers. 1t is not our intention to
recommend any particular make, but
rather to call attention to the different
machines necessary on a potato farm
and few of the important features
to be considered In selecting the ma.
chinery.
When help can be secured 1t will
pay to cut the seed by hand. on &C
count OF the more economical use OF
the seed and the greater uniformity
of the cuttings. When a cutter Is used
some pieces will be without eyes,
ho &1
a perfect stand. A cutter, however.
will give very satisfactory results and
may be profitably used when labor Is
scarce and high.
A planter should be used whenever
large areas are seeded. There are
satisfactory work. One should be Sc
cured which will plant the potatoes
at good depth without having too
heavy draft. The planter should be
so arranged that the cuttings may be
dropped at different distances apart
in the row. Some planters are so con.
structed that an extra man may be
employed to see that every space has
a cutting, so that there will be no va
cant places in the field. There are
many good planters on the market.
A potato digger should be used
wherever large areas are grown.
There Is greater diversity Of types
p than with any Of the other machinery
used In potato growing. The most
satisfactory typo is one which requires
four horses for It's operation and runs
the potatoes up over an elevated chain
which jars the dirt loose and leaves
all the tubers on the surface OF the
ground. When this machine is used
the potatoes may be dug as fast as
team of horses can walk Some use
small, cheap digger which merely rolls
the potatoes out on the surface OF the
ground. This machine is operated by
two horses. Others pillow the pota;
toes with an ordinary plow and after
picking up those seen on the ground
harrow it once or twice when the re.
mainder Of the potatoes are gathered
A potato sorter is good instru.
ment to have where large areas OF
potatoes are handled It consists
AA0I 0Ay " q W AA0OA AoV1u6 MCSuOs
OF the proper size through which the
small ones drop as the potatoes are
run through the sorter. This also re
moves the dirt, small stones and such
rubbish. A sorter might be made OF
narrow strips or Stats in the form OF
straight shute over which the pota
toes should be shoveled ii they are tc
be stored.
Any straight toothed harrow may be
used; however, on light soil a light
harrow is best. A weeder will dc
good work II used frequently. A har
row may be proftably used until the
potatoes have reached the height OF
about four to five inches.
Any type of cultivator used on the
farm will be satisfactory. but one