Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-02-05
SPUD GROWERS ACTIVE
Gunderson Tells the Man
With the Spud Bug What
to Do to Increase His Pro-
duction.

duction.
Potato growers will find that
this coming year will mean more
to them in their aim to produce
an abundant crop, than any year
SO far passed This is going to
be the big year in potato produc-
ton and now is the time to pre-
pare for the "big noise"
Gunderson says:
AS most of you know there are two
kinds of potatoes raised here of the
round or oval white type namely Rur-
al New Workers commonly called Rur
ais and Green Mountains. Rurals
have purple sprouts and are very dark
green when they come up and remain
so. Their foliage is branched and the
leaves are thicker and smaller in size
than on the Green Mountains. The
blossom of the Rural is lavendar or
nearly purple.
In contrast to this the Green Noun
tains are light in color, have white
sprouts and the foliage is very luxur-
liant, leaves thin and OF good size.
The blossoms are white.
Now the potato experts of the state
recommend Rurals for the heavy soils
and the Green Mountain for the light
Ell soils. In this country we have had
an excellent opportunity to observe
the two varieties. The west side of
the county raises Green Mountains al
most exclusively and this side of the
county goes heavily to Rurals. There
are few on this side who claim to
have Green Mountains but | have yet
to see any that l think are genuine.
For four years / have raised equal
plots of the two varieties and have ar
rived at some definite results or con-
illusions.
Each kind have some strong points,
it is useless to deny that. The Rurals
are good yielders and are quite resis-
tant to bugs and blight. But as sure
as you have banner crop of them
they grow too big and get hollow.
They are also very late and often
freeze before they get ripe.
The Green Mountains are equally as
good yielders in fact many men who
have done much experimenting main
tain that they always beat the Rurals
in yield everything else being equal.
They are luxuriant growers and will
ripen from week to ten days ahead
of the Rurals. Every year for four
they have outyielded the Rurals on
exactly similar conditions. But the
large advantage is that they are sell
dom if ever hollow Another point
in their favor is that they recover
from frost in June much better than
the Rurals. The two varieties are of
equal commercial value as it is very
difficult to tell them apart in the bin.
Now if you have been raising Rur-
ais and are dissatisfied try some Green
Mountains. Do not 60 into the change
all at once. Try some of each this
wear and see how they compare with
YOUR conditions. l know where there
is a choice lot of Green Mountains
within few miles of Eagle River and
can refer you to them if you so desire
Many are gong to change this sum-
mer at least part of their acreage.
Potato diseases are increasing here.
This spring intend to push potato
seed treatment and want the names OF
from 20 to % farmers who are willing
to treat their seeds as l direct. This
office will furnish the Corrosive Subli-
mate free. If you are interested see
me or write. My recommendation on
poison to kill bugs is to use Arsenite
of Zinc. 1t is far ahead of Paris Green
or Arsenic of Lead or other prepare
tions.
In last weeks table on silos Villas
County was underestimated. | know
where there are 81 silos in the county
and there may be some that | have
overlooked. great many farmers
have already planned their silo to be
built next summer. Who would not
with hay at over 80 dollars ton.