The Springdale news., 1918-07-12

Potatoes From the Early Crop Can
Not Successfully Be Kept Over
During Hot Summer Months.
J. 5. Knox, Horticulturist, Extension
Division, L. of 4.

Even though Arkansas has what is
supposed TO be the largest Irish potato
crop IN its history, il must be remem.
bered that potatoes from the early
crop can not successfully be kept over
the hot months of summer. Every
family must, therefore, plant a late
crop ior a winter use or take
chance on doing without potatoes be
cause with the transportation facilities
OF the railroads overburdened there is
doubt whether or not we can get cars
to haul potatoes into our State. We
must net burden our railroads by i'm.
porting potatoes this year The late
crop of Irish potatoes is the important
one for the Southern farmer because
potatoes from this crop can be stored
easily over the winter or even until
the spring crop is ready for use Po-
tatoes from the late crop are also ex-
cellent to use as seed for planting the
early crop. The yield from the late
/ crop is not generally very good yet
II will require only one-fourth to one
half acre of ground to produce all OF
the potatoes that the average family
will need
The following suggestions may be
helpful to those who wish to plant a
late crop of potatoes: About two to
three weeks before the potatoes are
to be planted they should be placed in
semi-shady location. piled not more
than four inches deep, then covered
over with straw, leaves or old sacks
This should be kept moist until the po-
tatoes begin to sprout. AS soon as
the sprouts are one-fourth of an inch
long ii is time TO plant the potatoes.
In planting il is GOOD idea to cover
the potatoes as soon as possible after
dropping because the extreme heat of
the summer sun may damage them
Since the soil is generally rather dry
at planting time for the late crop il is
considered best 10 plant the potatoes
little deeper than is required for the
early crop The deep planting insures
more abundant supply of moisture
for the plants and at the same time
the deeper soil is some cooler than the
surface soil. Il is true. however, that
even though the seed pieces are plant
ed deep the young potatoes will often
! form near the surface Of the ground
Remember that II you step on each
/ piece of potato as 1t is planted il will
be brought in direct contact with the
|
eprouting. This, of course. is practical
only on a small scale. The planting
should be done from July Is to August
! l. However some prefer to delay
planting until August 10. This may be
all right for certain years, but our
| farmers lost several thousand bushels
last fall because of late planting and
early frost The later the crop can
be planted. the better. just so II has
time to mature before frost, but it is
the earlier date. We can't afford to
lose our crops this yea. because the
! South needs them.
Cultivation for the late crop does
not differ from that of the early plant
ed crop. The surface of the soil must
be kept well stirred. The cultivation
will keep the soil from becoming ex-
cessively hot beneath the area cult
waited by allowing the air to circulate
more readily between the soil parti-
cles. In case of heavy rain cultivate
as soon afterwards as the soil is sui
ficiently dry. Do not cultivate pota-
toes when the vines are wet, since by
so doing you may spread disease. Some
diseases spread very readily when
moisture is present.
The late blight which often causes
great loss in this second crop can
be controlled almost completely by the
use of Bordeaux mixture. The dying
of leaves is often spoken OF as tip
burn or sun-scald, but Bordeaux mix
ture greatly lessons the damage done.
As soon as the crop is mature II
should be dug and placed in cool
cellar or banked out in the ope.
Some of our farmers store the crop in
banks successfully A well-drained To-
cation shcaid be selected and slight
mound made. Over this place layer
of drv straw or leaves Pile the pota-
toes on this in a cone shape, having
some form of ventilator through them
Next cove these with layer of straw
or leaves; over this put a layer OF soil
very shallow at first hut deeper as the
weather gets cold. Cover so that the
potatoes will not get wet and freeze.
It is best to place only twenty to
thirty bushels in heap.