Red Lake news. [volume] (Red Lake, Minn.) 1912-1921, 1916-04-01
POTATO CULTURE


we'll drained.
Potatoes need a rich soil and do best
when planted on soil after some legumlnous
plants have been grown. They do we'll
when planted on fields where corn has been
grown the previous year They should not
be planted on the same piece of land for
more than two years at time, because pota-
toes take a great deal of fertility from the
soil. The manure should be applied on the
crop raised the previous year SO that it will
be we'll mixed with the soil The fungus
diseases thrive in heavily MANFRED soil, and
if potatoes are planted the same year they
become scabby. Such land should be
avoided for about five years or until the
spores of this fungus run out.
Where the soil is not we'll drained, pOta-
toes will rot very easily, especially on heavy
SOIL The soil may be MANFRED in the fall,
thus conserving the fertility Of the manure
and giving it time to mix with the soil so
that it will be in shape to plant the pota-
toes in the spring. Fall blowing is the best.
1t gives the sod a chance to rot before
spring. 1t also permits a deeper furroW
than may be required in the spring 1t is
a mistake to pillow shallow. Potatoes need
deeply loosened soil Seven inches is not
to deep until it turns up too much of the
unfertile subsoil. If the soil is to be ploWed
in the spring this should be done early so
as to hold all the moisture possible.
The soil should be we'll disced and worked
down very fine; sod land cannot be worked
too much. It is good plan to drag the
ground often before and after the potatoes
are planted so as to keep down all of the
weeds before the potatoes get good start.
AS a rule the earlier one can plant pota-
toes the better crop they will harvest.
If land is fairly clean larger yield will
be obtained by planting them in rows, about
three feet apart one way and about fifteen
inches apart the other. If the soil is very
weedy it is better to plant them in hills so
that they may be cultivated both ways. 1t
is best to plant the potatoes about six in
ches deep because the tubers are generally
formed about that depth and the roots ex-
tend deep in the ground.
The seed pieces should weigh about four
ounces and not less than one This will re-
quire about Is bushels Of seed potatoes per
acre, A whole potato will yield the largest
yield of potatoes, but a half of a potato will
yield more marketable potatoes.
Potatoes should be kept in a dark cool
place so that they will not sprout. If they
sprout and the sprouts are broken off a
weak sprout takes it's place
In selecting the potatoes for seed, the
practice of saving the small potatoes for
planting and eating or selling the best ones
causes the running out of seed. The small
tubers are more likely to have all the weak
nesses and degenerate qualities Of a variety,
and less of good qualities, than the medium
sized ones, and these Weaknesses are prob
ably intensified when small tubers alone are
used year after year Do not plant the
long drawn out tubers, especially the slen-
der tapering ones. These are the degener
ating forms of better potatoes. The selec
tion of extra large potatoes should also be
avoided The most productive hills are
made up of potatoes medium in size. One
should aim to pick out smooth plump,