Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-10-23
EXTRAORDINARY YIELD
OF POTATOES
F0rty-tWO Bushels from an S-FOOt
Patch Under New Discovery


Forty-tWo bushels of potatoes in
the season of 1916 from a plot of
ground only eight feet square. or an
equivalent of more than $4,000 bushels
to the acre of ground space used, was
the astonishing feat of r. E. Hend-
ricks, resident of Kansas CITY. Mo-.
according to statement by H. NJ
George, formerly editor of the Ameri-
can Homestead, in the Philadelphia
Ledger
The Discovery
Three years ago he built what he
called potato pen," which was
|. hing more nor less than a huge
potato hill the sides of which were
supported by loosely constructed
inclosure, built after the fashion of
an old rail fence. Within this in
closure, only by s feet in size. he
planted his potatoes in thin layers
of dirt and manure, piling one layer
on another until the pen was 8 feet
nigh. The potato pen" became
mound of green. He had found that
his potatoes not only grew better
than they did in the cellar. but that
at digging time he was able to har-
vest forty bushels of as fl g potatoes
as are grown anywhere. The follow
ing year he secured thirty-two bush
els in the same size pen, and last
year the astonishing total of forty
two bushels.
The details of the construction and
management of these potato pens,"
| as described by Mr. Hendricks, out
line a plan by which anyone having
access to a plot of ground no larger
than a flower bed can raise all the
| potatoes needed for an average fam
lily for whole year.
How 1t Is Done
The potato pens may be built s
feet wide by any length, just so they
are built strong enough to keep the
sides from spreading. Most any kind
of good, stout material can be used
II light lumber or boards are used
the pen may be braced thru the CEN
| ter with wires. Rich earth and we'll
rotted manure must be on hand in
sufficient quantities to fill the pen to
the top.
The potato pen, as described, is
built 6 feet by feet, inside meas
urement, and is feet high.
The pen is built as each layer is
| placed and planted. You can use l
by inch boards for the ends and
sides, leaving a 21a inch square space
| between the boards for the potato
sprouts to come through. Start the
pen with 6-inch layer of dirt Then
mark off the plot foot apart each
way, allowing six inches of space for
dirt all around between the outer
| row of potatoes and the inside of the
| pen. Plant a potato seed at every
cross line of intersection of the plot.
forty-eight hills to the layer of dirt
| Then put an inch or two of well-rot-
ted manure over the potatoes and
sprinkle well with water. Then lay
| six inches more of dirt, mark off as
before, plant, manure and water
again. Repeat this operation with
enough layers to fill the pen to the
top. To keep the dirt from falling
out of the pen as the layers are placed,
draw up old Straw or hay against the
cracks or crevices.
Keeping Plants Moist
AS the pen rises place on the
fourth layer of dirt in the center of
one side, about two feet above the
ground, moist tester.' This is
made of any piece of timber about
the size of an arm, piece of by
inches by 3 feet long, placed so it
will protrude from the pen about a
! foot. After the potatoes have been
| planted three weeks, loosen the tester,
pull out and run your hand in to
determine the moisture. By so doing
you will know how much water to
use on the pen. After the tester has
been once removed, this can be re-
peated once or twice week. Watch
the tester and keep the dirt in proper
condition.
The pen should be near a water
supply, so that it can be well watered
during dry weather. It should be
watered from the top about twice
a week unless rainfall is sufficient.
The moist tester" will always en-
able the grower to determine the
proper moisture conditions. The top
layer of dirt should be sloped gently
toward the center, so the ground will
absorb and not shed rain; but care
should be taken that mud be pre-
vented from forming on top and bak-
ing to a crust. When the earth is
dry the mound should be sprinkled
on the top and sides.
The potato vines will grow to the
top and sides of the pen (the nearest
way to the light, emerging thru the
crevices and concealing the timbers
with coat of green. When the po-
tatoes are matured the pen may be
taken down, the potatoes rolled out
of the thin covering with a rake, and
the material, dirt and manure saved
and used again and again.
No Chance of Crop Failure