The Nevada County picayune., 1917-06-14
KEEP EARLY ARKANSAS IRISH
 POTATO CROP AT HOME
Now To Save Spring Crop and Pro
 duce Fall Crop.

By H. F. Kapp, District Agent, Exten-
 sion Division, U. of A.
 Some means should be taken to keep the early Irish potato crop in Arkansas this year. Our farmers are making a great mistake in permitting them to leave the state. There is a serious shortage in the worlds supply and the practice we have of shipping out tho early crop in June and by the middle of July or August 1 receiving return shipments to supply our needs may prove disastrous this year be- cause 1t will not only be practically impossible to get Irish potatoes back prohibitive.
 How To Save Them.
 The spring crop of Irish potatoes can be saved for home use by spread ing them out on a floor in well ven tilated building, or on the ground un- der building. The latter plan is pre- ferable if suitable place is at hand. The potatoes should be spread out very thin. It is best If they do not touch each other. After few days they should be gone over carefully and any that have begun to decay should he picked out If the potatoes are very wet at digging time, scatter air slaked lime over them to absorb the moisture. In this way home supply can be kept until December or Jan uary after which they will become s, shriveled and watery that they are not fit for food. and are not good for seed
 Plant Fall Crop.
 Most farmers do not attempt to grow a fall crop of Irish potatoes for ret a stand that is worth while. Some Arkansas farmers, again. have prov. on that it is possible to get very good stand for fall crop. Their meth cd Is as follows:
 Select a plat of good ground for tho fall crop and blow it immediately. Then blow and replow it as the sea son advances. Get a deep. thoroughly pulverized seed bed. Do not let any weeds grow on the plat. Only mature potatoes should be used for seed. Gull out the smaller potatoes from tlba spring crop and care for them as indi- cated About the middle of July plant them in the seed bed prepared accord ing 10 the directions Just mentioned. It will be found that enough moisture hu paration. blowing and narrowing. to sprout tho potatoes and get fair stand. It cannot be expected that as good yield will be obtained in the fall as with spring crop, but plenty can be produced to supply the needs of family and provide seed for plant ing next spring.
 Green Seed Potatoes. Take the seed potatoes cuiled from the spring crop as soon as dug and bed them out in dense shade i; under a tree where sunlight trickles through is gooG place. scatter enough dirt over them so that about one-helf of the potato is left exposed. Keep them damp. In two or three weeks the exposed part of the potato will turn green. Tn this condition it will not rot and is sure to sprout. II both the land preparation and green ing methods are carried out good crop of fall potatoes may be expect ed unless the fall is extremely dry or course, it is to be presumed that fertilization and good cultivation will 1 be given the crop"
 With the present high price ot po- tatoes, the shortage of acreage on ac- count of the cost oc seed and the great demand that will probably increase rather than diminish. every farmer should provide for his own use and be certain to have his own seed next spring. fall crop will solve the | whole proble,c Grow for yourself"