The midland journal., 1917-04-06
POTATO PROFITS
In view of the
present extraor-
binary prices for
potatoes, fields
MORE
POTATOESTO
BE PLANTED.

sn 49, present extraor-
binary prices for
potatoes, fields
VIII probably be planted to this crop
this year where they were never grown
before.
Intensive methods make it possible
10 grow crops yielding from 250 to 400
bushels per acre and to decrease the
cost of raising each bushel. The big
expense in growing comes in
the preparation of the land and the at
iention given the crop throughout the
season. But it costs no more to pre-
are ground, cultivate, and spray
500-bushel crop than it. does 100
bushel crop. Harvesting will cost
more, but the big overhead expenses
ire practically the same. Obviously
he thing to do is to insure larger
Yields by supplying an abundance OF
available plant food that will give the
crop good start and force it to early
maturity.
Preparing for Potatoes.
It is best to avoid planting potatoes
n soil to which large quantities of
stable manure, lime or ashes have been
ecently applied. Stable manure and
ashes supply plantfood constituents
which are used by the potato but both
manure and lime produce a condition
in the soil which favors the growth
If potato scab. When lime and manure
are to be used on ground planned for
potatoes later, manage the rotation in
such a way that this treatment will
follow rather than precede the potato
crop. The seed bed should be worked
down mellow by continued disking and
narrowing. If the ground is too COM
pact, the growing tubers find difficulty
in pushing out into the soil, and as
shape.
Organic Matter Needed.
The plantfood of the potato Is most
protitably supplied by turning under
green manures, supplemented by fertil-
izers. The potato takes up fairly
large amount of nitrogen, moderate
amount of phosphoric acid and large
supply of potash; hence, a fertilizer
supplying 8 to per cent ammonia,
6 to s per cent phosphoric acid and
5 to per cent potash is about right
for loan soils. On sandy soils use
more ammonia, on clay use more phos-
phoric acid and less potash, and on
muck use 1 per cent of ammonia, 10
to II per cent phosphoric acid, and 8
to 10'per cent potash when the latter
can be obtained.
How to Apply Fertilizer.
At least one-half of the ammonia of
the complete fertilizer used should be
in quickly available form in order to
give the young potatoes an early, Wig
orous start. The other half should be
in more slowly available form so as to
furnish continuous supply as it is
needed by the growing crop. The phos-
phoric acid should be readily avail
able so that, when the time comes for
the setting and filling of the potatoes,
there may be as large number of po-
tatoeS as possible. and the potatoes
may ripen uniformly. In applying the
fertilizer, it has been found that guam
titles varying from S00'to 1900 pounds
per acre have given excellent results.
in Maine, where about 25,000000 BUSH
els are produced annually, the applica-
ton of fertilizer on the good soil of
that state varies from 1000 to 2,400
pounds per acre.
Fertilizers Increase Yield and Quality.
Apply fertilizer in the row up to
the capacity of the fertilizer attach
ment of the planter. Any amount in
excess of this should be drilled in with
wheat drill before planting, or ap-
piled with a lime and fertilizer dis
tributor and we'll mixed with the soil.
This distributes the plantfood through
out the soil where the tiny potato roots
may find it early in their growth. The
tubers form on separate roots which
cluster under the plant, while the feed
Ing roots stretch off into the soil in
search of available plantfood. Con-
trary to common belief, the general
distribution of fertilizer between the
rows of potatoes does not tend to
spread the growing tubers, but tends
to provide better distribution Of food
for the growing plants.
I Regardless of how much time and