The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-02-20

SO OF, lis 1870 ass
kind. 1t is perfectly evident to know
the reasons for these differences in
yield so that the seed potatoes from
the farmer whose seed produced only
eighty to 100 bushels may be brought
up to where they will yield as much
as the seed potatoes which produced
100 bushels or more per acre.
Three general causes Of h low
yields which have not been discussed
are the way the seed potatoes are
cared for, disease and degeneration.
In handling of seed potatoes proper
storage is the first thing. Potatoes
do not cool off as quickly as they
should after going into storage, they
are not kept cool enough during the
winter, and they are allowed to sprout
too early in the spring. It would be
a splendid thing if potato growers
would set aside a regular part of their
potato cellars for seed potatoes and
construct 1t in some special man.
ner. or, better yet, build a small seed
potato cellar of ample capacity to be
used for nothing but seed potatoes.
Bins should be built in this seed po-
tato cellar with partition walls every
three feet. Then bins should be built
up six inches from the floor of the
cellar and six inches away from the
cellar wall. If built as narrow as
three feet the bins could be filled
up to almost any depth desired. The
walls between the bins should be built
on 2X4's with Boards nailed on both
sides so as to leave a four inch air
space for ventilation between, the
bins. Narrow strips of inch lumber
are most desirable for making the
walls Of the bins and these may be
nntInI ~ about - -.
one and one-half inches fapart so as
to provide for ample ventilation
through the walls of the bins. An
alley way should, of course, be kept
lengthwise through the center. The
bins could then extend from the alley
way to the wall, or rather to within
six inches of the wall, as a space
would be kept between the bin and
the wall to aid in ventilation.
The ideal temperature at which to
keep the potatoes is a few degrees
above freezing. If they go to 80 de-
grees for a short time they will not be
injured, but if kept for a long period
of time at that temperature there is
some danger of the eyes being weak
ened. A range of between 35 and 40
degrees is ideal.
Time of Digging.
There is Still one other matter to
consider in connection with the seed
potato problem, which is the time of
digging. 1t is a common practice in
some European potato growing Sec
tons to dig the seed potatoes be-
fore they are ripe because of the
claim that they yield better than when
allowed to become fully mature. Two
years OF experiments with immature
seed of the Sir Walter Raleigh vari-
ETY. at the station at university farm
EhnUQ1 q prlf i'm oF q four h,Y1loI. -
1911. and fifteen to twenty bushels
in 1912. Whether that would hold
ri for the Early Ohio or other yari-
cites can only be told by trying. How
green to dig them would also have
to be determined by experiment. I'm
til more is known those who wish to
dig seed potatoes before they are
mature had probably better wait un-
til about half of the leaf surface is
dead.
Immature Potatoes.
1t is important to remember with
regard to Immature potatoes that they
do not keep as well and require more
careful handling and better storage
than are required for mature pota-
toes. Good ventilation, such as would
be possible in a specially constructed
seed potato cellar like the de-
scrlbed would be extremely import
ant. Even then there would be some
danger of spelling in the cellar If
the potatoes were not properly handled
previous to storing them. They should
be allowed to dry several hours when
dug before picking them UP. After
that they should be allowed to cure
under shelter with the sacks piled UP
one deep for about a week. BY that
time they should be thoroughly dried
on the outside and the skin hardened
a little. Then, when they are put into
the cellar, they should be run over a
screen to get rid of the dirt. The
screen might as well be large enough
to take out the little ones at the
same time instead of waiting until
spring 10 sort them out. Any size
UP to a two-inch screen could be used,
the larger size being preferable. If
the little potatoes are removed in
the fall, the ventilation tn .ough the
bins is better, thus being another aid
in the proper keeping of the pota-
toes.
Those who cannot give the extra
care necessary when potatoes are dug
green will do better to let chem be-
come mature before digging.
In other parts OF the report Profess
sor Koehler, in detail. dealt with COM
mercial fertilizer tests, cooperative
fertilizer tests, In the series of lantern
pictures shown by tables fully ex-
planning every progression, cultivation
experiments, effect of root pruning.
effect on yield of potatoes from two
extra CIVILIZATIONS, distance apart to
plant in a row and size of seed piece.
dipping of scab, experiment with
brown rot OF potatoes, results from
planting plainly diseased, slightly
diseased and healthy seed potatoes.