Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-17
PROF. A. T. ERWIN, OF AMEs.
TELLS PUPILS HOW TO GROW
BEST "sPUps.~
NAMES VARIETIES THAT
SHOULD BE GROWN HERE
Early ohies, Irish cobblsr, and Rural
New Workers Tested and Proved
varieties-Pupils Told How TO Select
Seed and Given Hints About Plant.
ing and Cultivation.

The first of the series Of talks about
agricultural subjects to be given In
connection with the short course was
delivered Tuesday afternoon by Prof.
A. T. Erwin in the east court room. He
talked about potatoes, the selection
and planting Of the seed, the cultiva-
/, ton, harvesting, and marketing the
crop.
The tried and thoroughly tested va
rieties best adapted for the central
part Of Iowa, Professor Erwin said.
were the Early Ohio and Irish Cobbler.
OF the early varieties, and the Rural
New Yorker Of the late varieties. He
said the tests made at Iowa State Coll
lege showed that the Irish Cobbler
was in all respects as good and In
some respects better than the Early
Ohio.
Select Seed In Hills.
Not the largest potatoes, but the po-
totaes of hills that gave the largest
yield. were b potatoes to choose for
seed, Professor Erwin said. The time
TO select them is while they are being
Jug, 6lbO uOl lEoul Tue plU.
The Surest and best way to select
seed potatoes. he told the small class
Of young farmers. was to dig the po-
tatoes by hand, then throw the pota-
toes back into the hill, and select the
seed from those hills hat showed the
largest yield of fair-sized or large po-
tatoes. Seed from such hills would
give a better yield than large poua-
toes from a hill that had produced only
one or two large potatoes and many
small ones.
Glover, Corn, Potato Rotation.
Fall plower clover sod, followed by
potatoes, was good rotation, Professor
Erwin said. Better still, he thought,
was a rotation Of clover. corn, and
then potatoes. Potatoes like a fairly
light soil. and In such soil they should
be planted six or seven inches deep. In
heavier soils four to five inches 10
about right The cultivation should
be continuous. and it can be made very
effective against weeds by going over
the field with a harrow, the teeth of
the harrow being turned we'll back.
even after the potato plants are well
out OF the ground. Cultivation should,
VIC So3AS o1lA ~ 81O0l0 SO0S
tInue until after the plants have come
in blossom. At that time the tubers
are filing. and it is then that tbs
heaviest drain is made On the plant
for moisture. He thought a mistake
was often made in ~cultivating TOO
deep: shallow cultivation was better.
II planted not very deep in heavy soil
the potatoes should be hilled I'D to
Dravarf ,hn th1-1 r---
scaided.
Don't Use Runt Seed.
PROFESSOR Erwin thought that til Z
plan OF saving the small potatoes for
seed after sorting the crop for market
was a good deal like keeping the scrub
ouu CALI for h head OF the herd. He
nough 1t poor business.
Scab could be largely prevented by
treating the seed potatoes in a solution
OK . pint OF 40 per cent formaIdehyde
In Q barrel OF water. The potatoes in
a sack should be hung In the solution
not !onSer than two hours. II left
Longer the solution will inture the
eyes The potatoes should be treated
before being cut for seed. An average
sized potato, cut in four pieces. SO that
zach piece would at least have one
good strong eye, and enough Of the DO
1ato 1or the plant to feed on in getting
started. was about the right rule for
preparing seed But the size Of the
and the number planted to the
acre should be governed, be said. bv
the price Of the seed.
Lead arsenate. he said, was a bet
ter bug poison than Paris green. be-
cause it stuck to the leaves longer. r,
a be applied either as a power or
as a spray, but the time to use il was
"hen the first bugs appeared. and not
"hen the bugs had taken possession
Of the field.