The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-03-16
PLANT IRISH POTATOES
EARLY IN SEASON
4 SANDY, WELL DRAINED, MOIST
uRE RETENTlVE SOIL IS
BEST FOR POTATOES.
TREAT FOR SCAB DISEASE
All seed should Pe 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, it is like
! IL that the acreage Of Irish potatoes
| viii be substantially increased the
coming year In view of the nigh cost
If seed, fertilizer, and labor. II will
| be we'll for the potato grower to put
| forth extra effort to produce good
| crop so as to realize reasonable re-
! turn On his efforts as well as supply
| The country with much needed food.
| The potato makes very acceptable
substitute for wheat. Most everybody
likes it. Grow and eat more potatoes
and save the wheat.
To make satisfactory crCp Of irish
notatoes in this section II is necessary
| 10 plant the seed early in the season
so as to harvest the crop before hot
weather comes. The higher prices
usually received for the very early po-
tatoes encourage early planting OF
early varieties. Special risks are OF
ten taken tc reach TIE early market.
When To Plant.
Owing to the ir-egularity 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 Uhis latitude. Baton Rouge
for early varieties would be about an
average time, giving Triumph pota-
toes, saw, for late April and early May
harvesting. Northward and southwark
In the state planting would be mace
later and earlier, IS the case may be-
under normal conditions.
Varieties.
} The Red Triumph is the variety
most popular for early planting. II IF
a round, red potato, that Is very early
and meets the market demands. As
, must be expected, the Triumph is a
low yielder Il frequently sells Tor
, p;enjum in competition with white
varieties.
Another variety rapidly growing m
popularity is the Irish Cobbler 1hls
ia an early white potato.
, A late white potato known as the
White Star is frequently planted in
; the southern portion of the state. The
, F,urbank and Peerless are also grown
3 for late harvest.
Source Of Seed.
Quantities of Triumph seed come
a from the Red River valley in Minneso
t Ia. Much Maine-grown stock finds Its
way into Southern seed channels
Growers must be cautious about rur
= chasing their seed stock See that the
tuhers are free from diseases. This
caution applies especially to the
Maine-grown stock.
Home grown seed from the fall har
vest is also used. AS a rule 1t is quite
free of scab and other diseases, anc
very desirable. The crop from this
/ sead Is usually little later than from
Northern grown seed, but the yield Ii
frequently greater
Quantity Of Seed.
Fertility OF soil and other conditions
have a direct bearing on the size o
the seed piece to plant. A plant II
L poor soil will need much more nour
fshment from the mother seed-p1ec'
', than one starting in a rich soil where
II plant food is abundant. Eight, ten
]. and twelve bushels OF seed per acre
d are commonly used under averae'
9 conditions when paintings are mao
" on 31-2 or 4 foot ridges, and the sen'
= pieces are dropped about l. inche
apart. Sugar planters frequently plan
n on 5 - to 6 foot ridges and put corr
r in the furrow before the potatoes ar
4, harvested.
=. Treat With Formaldehyde.
q Potato scab is usually found on SEQ
r potato stock Our plant disease spc
Is cialist advises the treatment of SEA"
IS potatoes with formaldehyde whethH
u any kcab is visible or not, as sma'
=, amount Of the disease Is liable to b
70 overlooked Therefore, soak the sec
" potatoes for two hours in solution
N made by mixing one pint OF CONNER
Is cial formalydehyde with thirty gallon
Id of water Growers should not ncglcc
II this. For particulars send for Exter
IF sion Circular No. s on potato ecab.
Fertilizers.
Early Irish potatoes require n rand,
\. welldrained and moisture rctcniiv
20 soil. They should not he planted o
d, cold, poorly-drained. heavy land
z 1t In difficult to ntate what frrtili,
n er should be unod for potatoes ~ co,
~ ditlons are no varihbls. Each grove
~ should work out his own fertilKa
70 problems. M II very general guide
" might be snid that cotton seed me,
Sc and high grade ncid phosphate (l8 pc
cent available phosphoric aeid) 10 VI
% rying proportions and quantities pr
- acre would, in most instances. me,
IT the general requirements of the Gro
n Fertilizer is very high at presen
" but in purchasing it one Shout
BE- remember that the values
i crops have also Increased, In mar