Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1914-04-23
HOW TO GROW BIG CROPS

HOW TO GROW BIG CROPS |
For thousands of years potatoes
have been one of the dependent
crops and in several countries when
there is failure in the crop almost
food famine follows. The neces-
sity Of this crop is greater than one
gives credit.
Much attention Is given TO the
selecting of seed i'm the past few
years. 1t is not generally known
that planting potatoes, year after
year, in climate which allows q
long growing season will deteriorate
the quality and lessen the yield.
In the selection of seed potatoes
you should be sure they are northern
grown. You can mostly always
tell as potatoes grown in a climate
where there there is q short growing
season will have few eyes. A short
season forces them to maturity in a
shorter period, giving the potatoes
more vigor which will give you a
more abundant yield If you plant
that class of seed. They will also
mature ten days to two weeks earlier
than the home grown seed.
know of some sections i'm Maine
where the yield averages from $50
to 200 barrels per acre. This is
due to the selection of seed from a
heavy yielding crop. They always
plant the seed that has few eyes.
So often persons will buy potatoes
with the greater number of eyes,
believing they will get a greater
number of pieces from a bushel of
potatoes to plant. This is poor
practice and will be Improbable for
your yield.
II is the nature for potatoes to
grow in the soil. 1t il, therefore.
necessary for you to give your po-
tatoes plenty of soil if you desire a
big yield. Arrange your planting
so you can first cover four inches,
and when you see them peeping up
put your drag harrow on and cover
another inch. Do this the second
time. This will cover your potatoes
six inches and during the working
period always shuttle the soil to-
wards the potatoes. When you
have finished working them You
will have about eight to ten inches
of foil on your potatoes. You viii
find this benefic if you desire a
large yield. Have your rows three
feet apart; and, if using a planter,
drop the potatoes twelve inches
apart. If you were planting to
grow seed you should only plant
eight inches apart. Never try to
If you are in Icing growing season
climate. You can arrange your
planting so that the potatoes will be
immatured by the time the first
frost comes. This crop will give
You a fair yield as seed. as they will
be more vigorous by being forced
in short season.
Always use the big crop seed
potatoes of the highest grade for
your seed, free from scab, scale or
blight; and you will easily add 10
to 25 per cent. to your crop. The
u. 5. Department of Agriculture is
urging farmers to be more attentive
to the matter of good seed potatoes
pointing 0ut that the use of high
grade seed would easily add 10 per
cent. or 34.OO0,O0O bushels easily
worth $40, ZOO, 900.
During the growing season it will
be necessary to spray to keep down
the many insects that oftentimes
destroy the whole croD. You will
also find it profitable to spray should
the blight appear on your vines.
The very best fertilizer to use on
potatoes is $50. You can use
1000 to 1900 pounds to the acre.
| am cunfident if you will follow
the above your yield will be very
gratifying.
If you need any information on
the potato culture or diseases, write
Mr.. r. J. Bowen, Light and Pratt
streets, Baltimore Nd.