The diamond drill., 1917-08-04

the spraying VI PoboeONS 40 .SN f
able as year after year process.
The late blight coming as II does
about one year in five allows the
farmer to get into the state OF mind
such that he will take a carnce."
Then, too, in blight years although
the aggregate loss TO the state runs
into the millions, extra price which
comes about due to crop shortage re-
imburses to some extent the man with
a half crop. II he is at all long-head-
ed. he will wish that he mad not let
so large part OF the crop rot Ia
the year when prices are good. II
will be seen that the consumer In the
long run pays the board bill OF the
fungus.
The reason why spraying does not
pay the Michigan farmer has been
stated. In our large potato counties
we find large acreages planted, the
stock is planted in hap-hazard way,
no seed treatment or seed selection
l. practiced, cultivation is slighted
and, as might be expected, a crop of
from 100 TO 125 bushels TO the acre
is harvested. The farmer does not
look upon the potato crop as the mon
ey crop toward which all the forces
of four-year rotation Is directed,
but he looks upon 1t as merely a reg
ulaIly recurring staple crop yielding
a low return per acre. The large
acreage is necessary il he is to get
any sizeable amount of return from
the potato crop.
Such a system of growing potatoes
does not lend itself to crop improve
ment. Such growers resent any sug-
gestions as to better practices. The
truth is that with such a growing
system many of the recommendations
are futile and OF little practical value.
1t will be seen then that the prob
lem of potato spraying can not be
touched until farm management meth
ods in the potato counties change !
believe that an analysis of such a
method of farming will show that the
growing of a lowgrade crop Of low
veild. which commands only low
grade prices, is as truly Improbable
as the raising of scrub cattle in q
scrub stort of way Jason Woodman
in an address before the state pota-
to association said. I'VE must grow
more potatoes and yet we must grow
less potatoes! We must grow more
per acre on fewer acres" This IS,
indeed, the kernel Of the whole mat
ter. As soon as man begins 20
grow more than the average crop Oi
potatoes as soon as his yeild pc
acre reaches 175 to 200 bushels per
acre, than by spraying he can get
results which will equal those of that
which are reported in the bulletins.
The potato is plant extremely res
ponsiye TO its surroundings. II must
have a rich soil, a clover sod well
manured, or fertilized is almost i'm
peratiye The stock planted must be
carefully sorted and treated Guilt
vation must be thorough and FIRE.
quent. beginning before the crop is
above ground and continuing as long
as the horse can get through the
vines. With vines under such con
ditions, the use OF a Bordeaux spray
will work wonders
The problem OF spraying potatoes,
then. resolves itself into a farm man
aeement problem. Raise a high grade
high yielding crop and spraying be-
comes a necessary adjunct
What has been written deals with
spraying in the ordinary year and at
tempts to give the point OF view Of
the average farmer Conditions this
year are extraordinary. Potatoes are
planted this year in part as a response
to patriotic appeal The seed put
into the ground Is worth more than
average net returns from potatoes
in the ordinary year. IL will be seen
that the potato crop this year. from
the value OF the seed tubers alone
takes on all the attributes Of mon
ey crop" The farmer this year has
put 50 much into the crop that he
must prepare TO handle il in the best
possible way. Many have planted es-
umating the price next year az 50c
a bushel II Is evident that a yield
OF 100 bushels an acre will pay for
the seed Even at more conservative
estmes that the price of potatoes
will be S1OO a bushcl. there will not
be a big return considering the risk
uudarfaLnu