Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1915-10-15
THE POTATO SHOW POTA
TO CROP COMMENTS

Next month at Marinette will be
held the greatest potato show in hist
DRY. Forest county has good chance
to go to this exhibit with bunch OF
fine potatoes While frost has done
considerable damage, we are not with
the calamity howler who says there is
no use trying. have found fine po-
tatoes in the county and proper selec-
ton and handling will produce fine
showing. 1t also seems probable that
the grower who planted early on fall
blowing will reap profits at least up to
the average. Again the late planting
will not produce at profit. Would it
not be better to put this ground which
can not be ready on time, into some
other crop?
Another factor in the potato situa-
tion is the presence of considerable
late blight. 1t is certain that if frost
had not hit us when it did, the loss
from this disease would have been
enormous. AS it is some fields will
show more loss from blight than from
frost Look out for the dark brown
spots on the tubers. Cut one open and
you will find dark streaks running
through the white part. If this is kept
in warm place it will soon develop rot
all through the potato. All tubers
having spots of this kind should be
sorted and not put either into pits or
into the cellar. Do not sell this stuff
at the warehouse or to anyone else.
You will only injule your future mar
ket. If we can ship out only good
stock we will soon get reputation
for standard hign quality stuff and the
market will yield us more profits,
Remember too that there is no seed
treatment that will help us in this
blight control. Bordeaux spraying is
the control measure.
d. not cover up pits with ole potato
vines They are carriers of disease
and should be raked up and burned.
In fact the best thing all around the
farm is to gather up the trash and
burn. Our only hope of success in
the combating of insects and disease
is to clean up.
best potatoes to Marinette. Pick out
several bushels from the field and
then sort out the best one half bushel.
Wrap each tuber in papee and store in
cool dark place.
Last fall the writer urged fall plow
ing as far as possible. Many people
failed to realize the Importance of
getting a proper seed bed and are pay
ing for this in fewer potatoes. Many
comparisons crme to view this season
where man plowed strip last fall
and the remainder of the field in
spring. The fall plowing produced
the larger crop in every case. Let us
fall. Next spring we will be able to
get on the land sooner and the soil Will
be warmer. While we are finishing
the work of this years crops let as not
| forget to plan on next year. We can
get those edges cleaned up. It's the
field with the square corners that
works easiest. The labor in handling
a three cornered or irregular field is
so great that it often takes all the
! profits. Then we should also plan our
rotation and not have more of any one
crop than we can handle. A good
cropping plan is to follow the potato
crop with oats or other grain in which
we seed our clover. The next year
we can cut off our clover and plow
again for potatoes or corn where this
is wanted This does not include
timothy as this crop is not valuable
one on our land after it is cleaned up.
JOHN SWEETHEART.