The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-20

Is "a
growth of the industry has been nor
nal and constant, owing to the char
acter of Western soils, system of irri-
cation, large acreage of potatoes per
farm and rotation of crops. The meth
DDS of potato culture in Colorado diff
fer somewhat from those Of other
sections of the country. At first the
methods of irrigation and cultivation
best suited to h conditions here were
not we'll understood, but since it was
found that alfalfa could be success
fully broken up and that deep cultiva-
ton was most beneficial the methods
have not changed to any consider
able extent.
The preparation of the land for pO-
tato growing is probably the most i'm
portant item of the work. The diff
f%erences between new land broken for
potatoes, old land and alfalfa and is
most marked. The new land pro
duces a very clean grade of potatoes,
but does not give SO good a yield as
land either preceded by potatoes Or
alfalfa. Alfalfa land gives the largest
yields and is less liable to disease than
where potatoes succeed potatoes. n
universal practice is to rotate so as to
proceed potatoes with alfalfa.
The most common rotation is alfalfa
two or three years., potatoes two years.
or where beetS are grown, potatoes
one year and beetS one year, then
grain two years. Sometimes wheat or
oats are only grown one year. An
other rotation practiced to some eX-
tent is alfalfa two years, potatoes one
year, wheat one year. potatoes one
year, grain, then alfalfa again.
Winter sheep feeding has changed
the rotation to some extent. When
enough sheep are fed to produce a
good coat Of manure for the potato
fields, potatoes are followed with po-
tatoeS twice, or potatoes once and
once with beetS. Very substantial
gains in yield of both potatoes and
beets have resulted where manure has
been used. The use of manure on land
in Colorado as we'll as in the Eastern
States is cumulative in its effects and
benefits particularly the heavy soils iT
two ways. The physical condition O.
the soil is improved by being made
more porous and friable so that it will
hold moisture better, and, Of course
plant food is also added to it.
A practice that is to be commended
in other places as well as on the irri
gated land of Colorado is that of fol
lowing the pillow Immediately with tn
smoothing harrow. This is done part
ly to raalloW the soil and prevent tn
formation of Jumps, but mostly t
conserve the moisture. Experiment
have demonstrated that the loss Q
moisture by evaporation IS nuch les
Where this is done than where tn,
\ plowed land remains for a time with
out narrowing. In Colorado all tn
e LAND tina is plOwed each half day i
e narrowed before leaving h field.
n The position which Colorado occu
pies in respect to markets is one of tn
O most important factors in making tn
a industry profitable. Her geographical
position is such that advantage AN b
n taken of a shortage of crop either cas-
q or west Of the mountains. The cite
It of the east slope Of the Rockies, wit
Texas and New Mexico, ordinarily &c
the large share Of the crop, but nc
~infreuuently the Pacific Coast, Centrs
= States and even New York and Bos
: ton are markets forsthe Greeley pro
duct.