Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-03-23
Good seed and good tillage.
 Thorough protection of the plant against insect and fungus pests.
Preparing Soil for Potatoes.

dS c1lIlSC 1uoCCC dIlu lung uS pcSCS.
 Preparing Soil for Potatoes.
 The types of soil in which the po- tato plant thrives best are those des- ignated as sandy or gravelly loam soils. It may be grown with fair degree of success on any type of soil except loose and heavy, sticky clay soil, provided the land is we'll drained and contains the necessary plant food.
 Successful potato production is de- pendent to a large extent on the thoorughness with which the land is prepared before planting the crop. Where a horse can be used, the land should be plowed from eight to ten inches deep, provided the surface soil is of a sufficient deptha to permit it. It is never advisable to- turn up more than one inch of raw subsoil at any one blowing, so if previous blowing have not been over six inches the max imum depth at which it should be 1 plowed is seven inches.
 Where hand labor is employed, the same rule should govern as to depth. In spading, especially on grass or waste land, turn the earth bottom side up.
 Whether the land is iplowed or spad- ed. it should be thoroughly pulver- ized immediately afterwards. It is a bad practice to allow the freshly turn ed soil to bake in the sun and wind, and thereby become cloddy, and, at the same time, lose large per cent of it's moisture.
 l Where horse labor can be used, the Hand after blowing should be thor oughly disked first, then spring. toothed, and finally finished with smoothing harrow. Where land must be prepared by hand, it is good prac- tice to pulverize the soil as much as possible when spading it up, after which it can be put in a fise condition of mellowness with steel garden rake. The importance of thoroughly lining the soil can not be overempha- sized, for it increases the water-hold- ling capacity of the soil, renders more plant food available, and reduces the number of weeds.
 Early Varieties. In the Northeastern United States and along the South Atlantic sea- board, the Irish Cobbler, Early Pet oskey, or Early Standard, all of which are practically identical, may be ex- pected to produce larger crops and be more generally satisfactory for an early crop than the others mentioned. Quick Lunch and New Queen would be regarded as second choices for this section.
 In the South Central and Southwest ern States, the Triumph may be ex- pected to give results equal to or even better than the Irish Cobbler. 1 In the Middle West, the Early Ohio should do we'll, while the Early liar vest and Early Rose may be regarded as second choice.
 Late Varieties.
 In the New England States, Long Island, and northern New York, the Green Mountain, Gold Coin, Delaware, and other late varieties of that class do best.
 In northern Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the late varieties nam ed above do about as well as the Rural New Yorker No. 2, and are su- perior to it in table quality. In western New York, southern Michigan, and Wisconsin, and Iowa, the Rural New Yorker No. 2, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Carman No. 3, are the best adapted varieties, and divide honors with the Green Mountain in the northern portions of these states.
 Throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Geor- gia, the variety known as Mccormick is quite generally grown as late variety. In a favorable season the Green Mountain can also be grown.
 When to Plant Potatoes. The date of planting necessarily must be governed by climatic condi- tions. In attempting to produce as early a crop as possible, some risk must always be incurred of the plants being injured by late spring frosts. As general proposition, it is best 1 to plant potatoes as soon as there is little likelihood of killing frosts after