IS
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
G r o w in g G o o d P o t a t o e s in t h e P a c if ic N o r t h w e s t
Som« Ideas on the Homely " S p u d ” by Men Who Know W hereof They W rite.
Capital Photograph o f the Best Type of Baking Potato, Raised Near Kennewick, Washington.
tween the rows should be kept nearly
<i>
<§> level.
This is the first of a series *§> This ridge of soil will protect the
4» of
articles
discussing
potato <s> potatoes from sunburn. Some varieties
<$> growing.
<§> produce the tubers very cLose to the
<$> surface, or so near the surface that
after a time the ends of the potatoes
<♦> <•
<$> <$>
<$> <$> > <$> <§> <$* ■$> <$> <$ ^
may extend above thesurfaceu
The
BY O. M. MORRIS, Horticulturist; J. O.
principle thing to be accomplished by
IIAI>L. Plant Pathologist, and M. A.
tilage is to keep down weeds aud con
YOTKERS, Asst. Entomologist.
serve soil moisture.
HE size of the seed piece of potato
I f a crop of clover or some other vege
planted seems to have a direct in- tation has been turned under ifc may be
ilueuce over the crop of potatoes found- advisable to till deep early, but
produced. This tact is founded ou the as soon as the roots of the plants begin
fundamental principle that the largo to extend out into the space between
seed piece or whole potato produces the rows tho cultivation must be more
larger *und stronger vines than the ex shallow or serious harm will be. done
tremely small potato or small piece of to the plants. Cutting the roots of
potato. Another point that some time the plants by the last tillage will gTeatlv
lias its influence is the fact that the reduce the possibilities of the crop.
eyes located nearest the bud end of
The tillage should be continued as
the potato usually sprout earliest and long as possible without direct harm to
ar<- more active in their early develop the plants. Frequent shallow tillage
ment of plants than the eyes located will maintain the best supply of mois
nearer the stem end. In planting whole ture and help to produce a crop of
potatoes, it is commonly observed that smooth,^even potatoes.
only one or two eyes at the bud end
In Irrigated Sections.
produce sprouts, except in the case, of
In irrigated sections a little differ
extremely large tubers, and that it does
not tend to produce too many plants in ent system of tillage is necessary. Thq,
systems suited to localities differ mere
a hill, as is sometimes thought.
The Colorado Experiment Station than in non-iirigalcd regions. The po
found by actual trial that seed pieces of tato crop is more frequently planted on
potato or whole potatoes weighing less land than has had a clover or alfalfa
than two ounces produced smaller and sod turned under. In this case it is
weaker plants and a lighter crop than usually necessary to cultivate very <leep
seed pieces or whole potatoes weighing as soon as the planting is done. The
two ounces or more; that when the piece harrow can be used to great advantage
of seed potato weighed far in exceses of to keep down weeds and to drag to the
two ounces there was very little gained surface and break up' any sods that may
in vigor of plants or crop produced. be lifted by the cultivator. The first
Considering the value of the seed, a cultivation, is often given immediately
two-ounce piece or whole potato gave after planting and the land should then
approximately the maximum returns for be harrowed thoroughly aud as soon as
the money invested in seed. This has the plants are tall enough for the rows
been found true in field crop work and to be easily followed, shallow tillage
is now generally accepted by many should be continued. The »oil should be
growers in different sections of the gradually thrown in a ridge over the
country. Some prefer to plant the en row. This facilities irrigation and pro
tire tuber and never use cut seed. There duces the covering necessary for the
appears to be some foundation for faith protection of the potatoes. Deep tillage
in this system. However, it does not is sure to be injurious to the plants and
prove to be equally well 1 tided in dif it is, for that reason, always a good
ferent localities. In localities where the practice to ridge the land early.
Mulching.
soil condition is such that the seed po
tato decays rapidly the whole potato
Small fields or garden patebea in non-
is better ror planting, but in cases irrigated sections can often be mulched
whore the pieces of seed potato do not with straw or marsh hay with good re
decay rapidly, the advantage is not so suits.
»(•parent.
The mulch should be applied just be
fore the potato sprouts appear above
Medium Potatoes Best.
Tn cutting potatoes for seed, the ground. Four to eight inches of loose
medium sized ones are ordinariljuto be material may be used.
The plants will grow up through th:«
preferred. Hplit the potato len^hw ise
»nd if further etitting is desired, cut without trouble, and a good mulch will
crosswise, but do not cut to a single conserve more moisture than any ordi
eye. unless potato seed is very scarce, nary system of tillage. This practice
or the tubers n«ed are extremely large. should be resorted to only in sections
Mechanical cutter* are sel loot satis where the moisture supply is difficult
factory, because they do not discrimi to maintain.
The rmileh material should be free
nate or select sizes. Neither do they
avoid cutting directly through the eyes from seed or another crop will be plant
ed and result in more harm than good.
of the potato.
The thickness of planting varies ae Mulching requires a good deal of time
fording to locality and fertility of the and material and is act practical in
«
•oil. The general distance between large field«.
Harvesting.
rows is from 36 to 40 inches and the .dis
In large fields the machine diggers
tance between plants ot hills in the
row varies from 12 to IS iuehee. Early should be os*d ia harvesting' the crop,
potatoes *f ««ail «"* <»■
planted it i» cheaper than hand digging cr
more thtehly than the large late growing plowing out with an ordinary turning
plow. Hand digging is especially ex
varieties.
penmve, and careless diggers cut and
Cultivation.
Tn the non irrigated sections, clean, injure a great many potatoes.
Mowing out Hie crup is wasteful, as a
•hallow, level tillage should be jriren
until the new potatoes begin to form, large per cea tof the crop is left in the
bnt from th»S tithe nntil the sultivstin* grwand.
The crop should be dog. if possible,
is discontinued a slight ridge should be
thru wa over tL* row • The Uatl be while the seii • drying .u order te se
3
T
Note the Even Size
Common
to
all
These
Potato«»
cure the potato clean and free from ers gather up the potatoes from tba
earth. Breaking the skin, cutting or ground.
The potatoes should not be allowed to
bruising the potato in any way reduces
lie on the surface of the soil for more
its market value and storage quality.
Careful work will reduce this loss to than a few hours. Those that are dug
less than one per cent; and there is in late summer or early fall should be
seldom ant- justification for the methods gathered up immediately and- sacked
of harvesting thj*t reduce it above five and hauled to sheds or warehouses.
per cent. The pickers should follow close
Bright sunshine will cause them to
after the diggers and it usually pays turn green and sunburn, which injures
to have the sorting done as the pick-, their market value.
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A.
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A . B. K N O F F
S a le s A g e n t A m e ric a n S te e l A W ir e Co.
E W. CA M PBELL
m
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BO ARD
A L V IN H H A N TCIN 8
M a n u f a c tu r in g J e w e le r
GBORGE BOUCKAERT
W h o le s a le a n d R e ta il C o n f e c tio n e r
D R M A. M A T T H E W S
P a s t o r F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u rc h
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W F. P A U L L ,
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H
A
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P J F L E IS C H X E R
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w ill b u ild h o u s e s a n d b u n g a lo w s
on a w h o le s a le s c a le to m e e t th e
a lr e a d y g n a t n e e d s o f t h e e x p a n d
in g c ity , a n d p ro v id e th e p u b lic
w ith
s e c u r i ti e s
o f u n q u e s tio n e d
▼aloe a n d m o s t g r a t i f y i n g e a r n in g
p o w e r. S i m ila r c o n c e r n s in so m e
of th e S o u th e r n S t a te s a r e n o t
o n ly p r o v in g m a r v e lo u s re v e n u e
p r o d u c e r s to t h e i r s h a re h o ld e r s ,
b u t a r e a c c o m p lis h in g w o n d e rs fo r
t h e i r hom o c it i e s in b u ild in g u p
th e c o m m u n ity , a d d in g n e w a n d
h ig h ly im p ro v e d d i s t r ic t s , a n d in
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b e rs > .t t h r i f t y hom e lovir.j; p e o p le
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in g i t s m o n ey r a p id ly , a n d w ill I *
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to f o u r p r o f i ts a y e a r o n i t s b u ild
in g . a n d th e b u i ld in g o p e ra tio n s ,
b e in g on s la r g e sc ale , e n a b le s a v
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A lw a y s in su c h a c o m p a n y c a re
fu l m a n a g e m e n t is o n e of th e
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• n ."
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o n e in S e a tt l e a n d t h e N o rth w e s t
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ance.
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