Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-01-12
elbow I Shall Handle My Crop"

ihOW Suoh ta2uose WY SIVP.
First prize essay for boys potato clrbs.)
This year of 1914 raised my frs
crop, one-eighth acre of potatoes under
the supervision of William II. Burns,
our local leader, raising the largest CROP
in this club at the least expense, also
one of the best crops that has been rails
ed on our farm for a number Of years
But in 1915 am going to make an ef'
fort "To Make the Best Better"
In November I plowed one-half an
acre of ground for my next years crop,
plowing it seven inches deep, and turn
ing the sod completely over. The ends
OF this plot are gravelly loan, but in the
middle it is a little heavier, light clay
loan. The subsoil is light clay. This
piece of ground is well drained and has
been cutting hay for quite a number OF
years, and fair crop was cut from 1t
this year. 1t had fairly good sod.
AS soon as it is dry in the spring, l
will pick the rocks from this plot, and
am planning to spread little stable
dressing on II, for, as we all know, the
war in the east has diminished our sup
ply of potash, causing a rise in the price
of commercial fertilizers. This stable
dressing will supply humus, as we'll as
fertilizer, to the soil. Then will bar
row il with a disk barrow diagonally,
lengthwise and crosswise, until II is
thoroughly pulverized, and the manure
well mixed with the soil, finishing 1t
with a spring-tooth harrow. l will fol-
low out the advice which our farm dem
onstrator, Mr.. Day, gave US at the Boys
Club meeting, Harrow and harrow un-
I'll il is narrowed enough, and then har-
row some more" Then / will drag 1t
with q plank drag, to break up all the
Jumps, pack the ground so that the
moisture will not escape, and smooth
the soil off.
Next year plan to use for seed, Low
ell Green Mountain potatoes. l will
treat them with formalin, using one
pint of formalin to 80 gallons of water
TO prevent scsb, blsck-leg, and other
diseases. Immediately afterwards |
will green them by placing them on
board platform, one layer thick, in the
sun, letting them remain there for at
least ten days and not allowing them to
chill. Then will cut them in quite
large, blocky pieces, two or three days
before planting, using land plaster as a
dryer.
Next comes planting. We have an
Aspinwall picker" planter; but, al
though we consider it one of the best OF
it's kind, will only SOW my fertilizer
with it, and plant my potatoes by hand,
as wish to be sure that every seed Is
there, one foot apart, and in rows 81
inches wide, covering them with the
horse-hoe. am undecided as yet how
much fertilizer 1 will use; but whatever
amount it is, shall put half Of it in the
row at the time of planting, using as
high grade fertilizer as can procure.
As soon as possible after planting,
will begin to cultivate, to keep down
all the weeds, that they may not choke
out the potato plants. To conserve the
moisture in the soil and to provide a
good bed of light soil around the plants,
shall cultivate them at least twice,
and shall run them up once with
horse hoe, going over them once with a
weeder before they begin to break
ground. Just as they do begin to
break ground, | shall put on the rest OF
my fertilizer with the potato planter,
aud cover both the fertilizer and the
plants with the horse hoe. From then
on will cultivate them at least once a
week, and after an interval of few
days, will hoe them up, following this
up until the potatoes are so large that II
will be impossible to 90 through them.
After hoe them for the last time, l am
going to set my cultivator as narrow as
| can get II, and run through the plants
very lightly to leave dust mulch in the
center of the row, as well as on the
sides. When potatoes are hoed for the
last time, the horseshoe generally takes
all the loose dirt and leaves a hard place
between the rows and you will notice
that the ground will crack open, leaving
holes that serve as chimneys TO allow
the moisture to escape. think that by
running the cultivator through lightly,
as | have stated, it will prevent this
cracking open of the ground and con-
serve the moisture.
When the plants are six or eight
inches high, shall begin to spray with
Bordeaux mixture TO prevent early and
late blight, and if there are any bugs,
shall add arsenate of lead or Paris green,
aud repeat every week or ten days, de-
pending somewhat on the weather dur
ing the growing season. l will go
through the potatoes with hand hoe, if
necessary, and cut out all the weeds as
fast as they appear, not allowing any
weeds to grow ON this plot.
dug my potatoes this year when
they were q little too green, and the
skin started on them some, but next year
| am going to leave them in the ground
until they are thoroughly ripe. Also !
will keep a notebook, noting the condi-
tion of the crop during the growing sea-
son; will keep strict account of all the
material used and the time spent on my
potatoes, and will carefully fill out all
the blanks which are sent me.
think Boys Clubs are great organ
ization, as they encourage "us fellows
to love to work on the farm" l did not
realize until this year that there was &C
much hard work and so much pleasure
in raising a crop that was all your own.
And would say, "Do not be discourag
cd under any circumstances If thinge dc
not go on smoothly" but hope that the
season of 1915 will be so favorable thai
N will induce other bows to Join our clut