New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1915-01-02
THIS WILL BE A BANNER
YEAR.
By A. G. Bernard.

- acreage Will be planted III Iris
potato this Spring than was eve
planted in the history Of the Pan
/: ish in the New Iberia section
> The yield will undoubtedly b
t much greater than this.
: We have the best information
e for making these statements
S Farmers who in years past plant
S ed but a few rows will plan
D twenty acres. others who in tn,
: past planted practically no Irisl
potatoes at all will plant fuon
twelve to fifteen acres. The fac
that the yield will be many time.
increased over years past is evi
: denced by the intense interest
taken by farmers from every sec
ton who are anxious to secure
good pedigreed seed and DESTROYS
to know the proper method Of dis
injecting, planting, culture. etc.
The potato next to bread is the
largest consumed article of food
we have. 1t is food everybody
uses, rich and poor alike. There
is seldom if ever an over-produc-
ton, and prices, especially in the
South for early potatoes are al
ways good, often being double
that paid to the Nothern potato
growers. / am informed that last
year early potatoes brought as
much as $1.15 per bushel while
Northern growers are glad to get
thirty-five to forty cents per
bushel. There is plenty of mon
ey to be made when we get sixty
five cents per bushel, and even
less when we get the yield. and
we can get the yield if certain
fundamental and essential rules
are observed and followed.
There is hardly a crop easier
made nor quicker lost than the
Irish potato crop. The "secrets"
are simple and if carefully fol-
lowed there is practically no such
thing as failure to make a re-
munerative crop out of it. When
the crop is made, the Chamber of
Commerce will not only aid if
disposing of it, but will attend to
have the necessary cars made
available for quick shipment.
This is an important part Of the
industry quick disposition of the
early crop. 7"
The yield Of the potato crop In
the past has been unbelievebly
small. l shall not discuss the
causes Of this, nor do l care to
be misunderstood, but with the
proper kind of soil, good seed,
proper disenfecting, proper cul-
ture and method of handling the
yield can reasonably be increased
four or five times, and in son+
eases to almost eight or nine
times what it has been.
/ do not care to be misunder-
stood there are some farmers
whom l would advise not to plant
potatoes at all for the reason that
the land they have is not good
potato land. Most of our farm
ers however have portions of
their land at least that can be-
used for this crop. A
The first consideration of course
Is the soil. There must be SUI
|ficient amount Of easily available /,
plant food, for the potato is
rapid growing and rapid matur-
ing plant and cannot wait for
The natural decomposition of in /,
'oluble soil ingredients to be con- /,
verted into available plant food.
The soil must be natm ally fertile {
IF artificially made so. Not only /,
Mould it have the necessary ,
,lant food but it must be in the !
proper physical condition. The {
'oil should have good drainage, 8
'lensy Of humus or organic mat j
er. and should not contain an I
excess Of clay. Sandy soils, san /
" loan or even clay loan if t
drained and properly .
are good soils. Heavy, G
lack sticky undrained soils, q
called "hog-wallows" c
re not good potato soils, no mat /
er how rich. This land can be \
nade into good potato land by T
everal years cultivation, plant 8
ng of COW peas, drainage, etc. \
'hese lands should be treated to /
me, and in fact lime would not G
urt any of our soils as it sweet {
MS the soils, makes the plant I
bod more available and makes t
he land more friable. r
The next most important thing b
nd even as important az tn. sell Il