FARM DEPARTMENT. 167 



NO. 13— FARM DEPARTMENT. 



POTATO CULTURE.— VARIETIES— EXPERIMENTS WITH DIFFERENT 



AMOUNTS OF SEED. 



The writer has received a number of letters from different parts of the 

 "State of similar import to the following, from a well-known farmer of Ionia 

 county : 



'•' My Dear Sir: — I desire to ask a few questions as to your experience 

 at the College Farm, in the planting and raising of potatoes, as to the 

 amount of seed to be put in a hill, the distance between the rows, the dis- 

 tance between the hills, in the rows, the proper time to plant for winter 

 use, etc. 



" Considering the importance of the potato crop it does seem to me that 

 more should be known as to the best method of raising the crop. 



" Of all the farm crops raised in no one is there such a diversity of prac- 

 tice as in the cultivation and raising of potatoes." 



This bulletin is sent out as a reply to queries of this sort, and with the 

 hope that it may be of use, not so much to the potato specialist as to those 

 who have had but little experience in growing this important crop, or who 

 have never given much attention to their methods. 



POTATO CULTURE. — SOILS AND FERTILIZERS. 



The soils best adapted to the potato are sandy and gravelly loams. Clay 

 soils, if the season be wet, produce very poor potatoes, and they will be 

 much more liable to rot than those grown on sandy land. 



An old pasture turned over or any sod ground is specially fitted for the 

 growth of the potato. 



A little well rotted compost harrowed in thoroughly upon such a sod, to 

 give the plants a good start, will usually give a fair crop upon comparatively 

 poor soil. The potatoes grown upon sod are usually smoother, less liable to 

 rot and of superior quality. 



The application of fresh stable manure is not desirable on potato land, as 

 it frequently results in a diminished yield and greatly increases the liability 

 to rot. 



Mucky soils in a dry season often produce a good crop ; but as they are 

 deficient in organic matter an application of leached ashes will be found 

 desirable to supply the potash essential to the growth of the potato. 



Ashes may be considered as a special fertilizer for potatoes, adding to 

 the yield and improving the quality. 



They can be used on the hill or in it. A good way is to mix them with 

 the earth that covers the seedf or as a top dressing after the plants are 

 fairly started. 



PREPARATIOJSr OF THE SOIL. 



The soil should be thoroughly plowed and harrowed until it is well pul- 

 verized and leveled. More potatoes can be grown in drills three feet apart 

 and from twelve to eighteen inches apart in the drill than when the ground 

 is rowed each way and the planting is in hills three feet apart. 



