The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-06-06

SUMMER CARE or
GROWING POTATOES
Much cultivation Is Beneficial Dur
ing EARLY Summer Says
-. Potato Specialist.

=. Potato Specialist.
49,
it,. BY A. w. Aamodt, Potato Special
list, Horticultural Division, UNIVERSE
ty of Minnesota.
: The increase or maintenance of
the total production of potatoes for
Minnesota can be secured only by
careful and intensive cultural me-
thods and by spraying to control
insects and diseases. With the seed
in the ground and in a. growing con-
dition it is now up to- the grower to
care for his field in such a manner
as to produce the maximum yield.
Flowing and cultivation loosens
the surface soil and prevent evapo-
ration. The depth of cultivation de-
termines how often the soil should
be cultivated, as the shallower the
cultivation the sooner it settles and
becomes packed. Fall blowing,
wherever it can be done, the addi-
ton of we'll rotted manure and or
ganic matter, and the early spring
serring of the soil conserves the
water supply in the most efficient
manner.
Thorough tillage also helps in the
control of weeds, which is some
times more essential than the con-
servation of moisture. Weeds have
stronger root systems than potato
plants and can take up more of the
available plant food as well as the
moisture from the soil. weeds which
have just begun to sprout are easily
killed. It is, therefore, very essen
tial that as much of the cultivation
as practicable should be given to the
field before planting.
For several weeks after planting
the weeds can be controlled easily
and the moisture conserved by the
use of the tooth-harrow or weeder.
Blind cultivation can be practiced
only when the potatoes are planted
in such way that the rows can be
followed before the plants are up.
1t is advisable to run the tooth
harrow across the rows a few days
after planting so as to level down
the ridges left by the planter. Wide
tools should be used in preference to
the cultivator because less labor is
required and they may be used two
or even three times. after planting,
at intervals of a week or ten days.
All narrowing after the first should
be done with the rows, keeping the
horses between the rows. At the
last narrowing, which should be done
just as the plants appear above the
ground, the teeth of the harrow
should be set at an angle, so as not
to tear out the plants. This harrow
ing should be done carefully, as the
sprouts are very tender just before
they come through the ground. Very
little injury will be done to the
sprouts when it has established itself
in the soil. If desirable, the cultiva-
tor may be used instead of the har-
row after the plants appear; but if
the work is carefully done and only
a few sprouts are injured, the set
back to the few plants will be far
outweighed by the benefits.
From the time the plants appear
above ground until the tubers begin
to set, the soil must be kept loose
and the weeds must be destroyed by
some kind of cultivation. Either the
one horse or the wheel cultivator
may* be used. The wheel cultivator
is probably the best tool, because
the depth to which the soil is stirred
can be regulated. This becomes
more essential as the season advan-
ces. The one-horse cultivator cuts
too deep, especially later in the sea-
son when very carful work is needed
to avoid root-pruning.
Sometimes the weeder is used, and
by driving along the rows nearly all
Of the weeds can be killed. It does
the best work within day after the
first and second civilizations or when
the plants are less than twelve in
ches high. Although the weeder will
not kill those weeds that are already
above the soil, nor those with UNDER
ground root-stalks as quack grass,
it will kill a great many germinat-
ing seeds. The weeder helps to con-
troll the weeds near the plants and
with a thorough narrowing before
the plants are up there need be little
trouble during the latter part of the
season and heavy ridging would then
be eliminated.
The first cultivating is done either
just after the planting, if no har-
rowing is done, or just after the
plants are above the ground. The
cultivator should be run as deep and
and as near to the seed as possible