The Dermott news., 1917-07-12
KEEP EARLY ARKANSAS IRISH
 POTATO CROP AT HOME
Hcw To Save Spring Crop and Pro-
 duce Fall Crop.

lY IL r. kGpp. blStf}ct AScnl, t.A cH-
 sion Division, U of \.
 Some means should be taken tc keep the early Irish potato crn2 m Arkansas this year Our f2r,ners are making great m'stake in permitting them 10 lear@ the state. There is q serions shortage in the worlds supply and the practice WI have of shipping out the carly crop in June and by the middle of July or August l receiving return shipments to supply our needs may prove disastrous this year be- cause il will not only be practically impossible to get Irish potatoes back into the state but the price will be prohibitiye.
 How To Save Them.
 The spring crop of Irish potatoes can be saved for home use by spread ing them out on floor in a well ven ti'ated building, or on the ground un- der building. The latter plan is pre-. fersble if suitable place is at hand. The potatoes should be spread out very thin. II Is best if they do not touch each other. After few days they should be gone over carefully and any that have begun 10 decay should be picked out. If the potatoes are very wet at digging time. scatter air slaked lime over them 10 absorb the moisture. In this way home supply can he kept until December or Jan. uary. after which they will become sp shriyeled and watery that they arc not fl for food. and are not good for seed
 Plant Fall Crop.
 Most farmers do not httemp, to grow T fall crop of Irish potatoes for the reason that it is so difficult to get stand that k worth while Some Arkansas farmers, again. have prov en that it is possible 10 get a very good stand for fall crop Their meth cd Is as follows;
 Select a plat of good ground for the fall crop and blow II immediately Then blow and replow it as the sea son advances. Get deep. thoroughly pulverized seed bed. Do not let any weeds grow on the plat Only mature potatoes should he used for seed Gull out the smaller potatoes from tlye spring crop and care for them as indi- cated About the middle of July plant them Tn the seed bed prepared accord. ing 10 the directions just mentioned. II will be found that enough moisture has been conserved by thorough pro paration. blowing and narrowing. 10 sprout the potatoes and get fair stand It cannot he expected that as 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 culled from the spring crop as soon as dug and bed them out in dense shade: under a tree where sunlight trickles through is good place. Scatter enough dirt over them so that about one-half of the potato is left exposed. Keep them damp. In two or three weeks the exposed part of the potato will turn green. In this condition 1t will not rot and is sure to sprout. IT both the land preparation and green ing methods are carried out a good crop of fall potatoes may be expect ed unless the fall is extremely dry Of course. 1t is to be presumed that fertilization and good cultivation will be given the crop"
 With the present high price of DO tatoes, the shortage of acreage on ac- count of the cost of seed and the greet demand that will probably increase rather than diminish. every farm shoulS provide for his own use be cettain to have his own seed soriw A fala "~~ solvd