Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1918-02-16
PLANT IRISH POTATOES
EARLY IN SEASON
A SANDY, WELL DRAINED, MOIST
URE RETENTIVE SOIL 10
BEST FOR POTATOES.
TREAT FOR SCAB DISEASE
AL Seed Should Be Treated For Scab
Whether the Disease is Wis
ible Or Not,

II the season is favorable and the
price OF seed is not too high, II Is ike
" that the acreage of Irish potatoes
will be substantially Increased the
coming year In view Of the high cost
of seed. fertilizer. and labor, il Will
be well for the potato grower 10 put
forth extra effort to produce a good
crop so as 10 realize = reasonable II"
turn on his efforts as well as supply
the country with much needed food.
The potato makes very acceptaole
substitute for wheat. Most everybody
likes il. Grow and eat more potatoes
and save the wheat.
To make a satisfactory crop of Irish
POTATOES in this section it is necessary
to plant the seed early in the season
so as to harvest the crop before nor
weather comes. The higher prices
usually received for the very early pc
tatoes encourage early planting OF
early varieties. Special risks are OF
tn taken 10 reach the early market,
When To Plant.
Owing to the irregularity of the sea
son and the variations in soil types In
Louisiana. no definite dates for plant
ing can be given. Beginners should
consult their farm demonstration
agent and experienced growers in
their vicinity. Late January or early
February (this latitude, Baton Kouge)
for early varieties would be about an
average time, giving Triumph pota-
toes, say, for late April and early May
harvesting. Northward and southwark
In the state planting would be made
later and earlier, as the case may be,
under normal conditions.
Varieties.
The Red Triumph is the variety
most popular for early planting. 1t is
round. red potato, that is very early
AM. meets Tho market dds. AS
must be expected, the Triumph is a
low yielder. It frequently sells for a
premium in competition with white
3 Another variety rapidly growing in
popularity is the Irish Cobbler. This
Is an early white potato.
A late white potato known as the
White Star is frequently planted in
the southern portion of the state. The
Burbank and Peerless are also grown
for late harvest.
Source of Seed.
Quantities of Triumph seed come
from the Red River valley in Minneso- 4.
ia. Much Maine-grown stock finds its
way into Southern seed channels.
Growers must be cautious about pur-
chasing their seed stock. See that the
tubers are free from diseases. This
caution applies especially to the
Maine grown stock.
Hometown seed from the fall har-
vest is also used As a rule il is quite
free OF ccab and other diseases, and
cry desirable The crop from this
seed is usually little later than from
Northern gown seed. but the yield is
frequently greater.
Quantity Of Seed.
Fertility Of soil and other conditions
have a direct bearing on the size of
the seed piece to plant. A plant in
poor soil will need much more nour-
ishment from the mother seed-piece
than one starting in rich soil where
plant fool is abundant. Eight, ten.
and twelve bushels of seed per acre
are commonly used under average
conditions when paintings are made
on IL or foot ridges, and the seed
pieces are dropped about - inches
apart. Sugar planters frequently plant
IN 10 to foot ridges and put corn
in the furrow before the potatoes are
Treat with FormaIdehyde.
Potato Gcab is usually found on seed
potato stock. Our plant disease spe-
cialist advises the treatment of seed
potatoes with formaldehyde whether
any scab is visible or not, as a small
amount OF the disease is liable to be
overlooked. Therefore. soak the seed
potatoes for two hours in a solution
made by mixing one pint of CONNER.
clal formalydehyde with thirty gallons
of water. Growers should not neglect
this. For particulars send for Extern
sion Circular No on potato scab.
Fertilizers.
Early irish potatoes require sandy,
well.drained and m0isture-retentire
soil. They should not be planted on
cold, poo~iy-drained, heavy land.
It is difficult to state what fertiliz-
er should be Used for potatoes as con-
iitions are so variable. Each grower
should work out his own fertilizer
problems. As a very general guide 1t
might be said that cotton seed meal
and high grade acid phosphate (16 per
cent available phosphoric acid) In va.
-,-iog nrnpnrt inus npd nnaptJtins par