Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-13
9. l. NJ, sylvester, Ga, writes:
l want information on growing

G. |. M, Sylvester, Ga, writes:
| want information on growing
fal! Irish potatoes and tomatoes.
The season of the year is at hand
when second crop Irish potatoes
should be planted. In fact, it is get
ting rather late in north Georgia,
but you have sufficient time in
which to plant this crop in south
Georgia. 1t is useless to plant sec
ono crop Irish potatoes except on
moist lands. Second bottom or even
first bottom lands that are not sub
ject to overflow constitute the best
location to utilize for this purpose.
If you can supply irrigation water
to YOUR second crop Irish potatoes,
it will be very desirable practice
to follow. Otherwise, you should pre-
pare the land and plant much as you
would during the spring season. 1t
is desirable, of course. to plant small,
uniform, uncut potatoes. These
should have been allowed to dry out
somewhat under the shade of tree
or under the edge of q house. When
thus handled, they will soon begin
to show eyes and will sprout read
lily when incorporated in the soil.
The rows for this crop should be
made three feet apart, and the pota-
toes should be planted eighteen
inches in the drills. 1t takes about
seven to ten bushels of seed per acre.
The best variety to plant for second
crop Irish potatoes is the Lookout
Huntain. Only clean, sound irish
jeotato seed should be planted. 1t
: will take this crop ninety days or
more to mature. The second crop
does not develop as rapidly as the
early crop.
1t is our practice to plant second
crop Irish potatoes in deep, wide fur
rows, in the bottom of which we
put plentiful rupply of high grade
fertilizer. We prefer 10 As for thia
purpose. The fertilizer should be
well mixed with the subsoil. The
potatoes should be covered to a good
depth so as to keep them cool and
to insure more rapid termination.
When they start to Gprout, knock off
the tops of the rows. Cultivate fire.
quently and water regularly once a
week whenever practicable. Mulch
ing the potato bed with a heavy COW
ering of decayed leaves or straw is
good practice.
Why Not Save All the CornstaiIts?
C. F. M, Route 2, Canton, Ga,
writes: Will you please inform
me if cutting the tops from corn
when fodder is ripe viii detract
from the weight of the corn?
Discounting labor, is it cheaper
to pay SO per hundred for fodder
than save it? That is, does the
corn lose in weight from pulling
fodder?
We do not think that cutting the
tops off Of corn when the fodder is
ripe will detract to any appreciable
extent from the weight of the ear.
The leaves of corn, of course, consti-
tute its breathing organs and repre-
sent the part of the plant in which
the food is elaborated If you re-
move the leaves or lungs of the plant
before maturity is reached then. of
course, you may lessen the perfect
development of the ear to some c1-
tent. There is an impression, of
course, that when corn begins to fire
a little bit that the aa" ceases to
grow and. develop. This is not true.
for as long rs the life functions of
the plant continue there will be elab-
oration and transferencs c. food
fiom one part of the pllnt to an
other
We consider the practice of rull-
ing fodder a waste Of energy because
there is a very tonsid cradle amount
of nutriment in the stalks of the
corn plant. Why so 20 the trouble of
quilting off the leaves when with
comparatively sir:rle machine. or
with a sickle, for that matter, the
whole of the stalk may be saved
without putting forth more labor ana
energy are required in the mere pull
ing of fodder? IL | owned a corn
field, | feel that l could harvest ana
save the whole plant and add at least
one-third more to the bulk of the
roughage available for feeding at
lower cost than it will take to pull
the fodder alone. We can never have
a worthwhile live stock industry UNI
til we discard the idea of pullins
fodder.