EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 445 



POTATO CULTURE. 



THE SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION, 



Circular No. 15. 



A well drained sandy loam is ideal for potatoes. Such a soil should, 

 if possible be included in a regular rotation and the potato crop follow 

 a clover sod which should be turned under in the fall, or early in the 

 spring. When fall plowed, the sod will partly decay by spring and there 

 will be an opportunity to work the soil several times with both disc and 

 harrow before planting, which is very important. It has been demon- 

 strated many times that much better crops can be produced upon a soil 

 that has had this extra working than when it- has not been given. 



Always avoid low fields where the frost may destroy the plants early 

 in the fall before the growth has been completed. 



THE SEED. 



Whole tubers about the size of a hen's egg are very satisfactory for 

 seed, especially so in a dry season. If such seed is not available use 

 cut pieces about the size of a hen's egg and have at least two good eyes 

 on every piece. Larger seed pieces may give a larger yield but not 

 enough to pay for the extra amount of seed required, especially if it is 

 expensive. 



If any of the seed is "scabby" even to a very slight degree, it should be 

 treated by soaking for two hours in a solution made up in the propor- 

 tions of one pint of formalin to thirty gallons water. Formalin can be 

 procured from any druggist. Do this shortly before planting and be- 

 fore the seed is cut. Do not put the treated seed back into crates or 

 bags that held the tubers before treatment, unless the crates are washed 

 and the bags soaked in the solution. The scab disease may live in the 

 soil for some years, so do not plant upon land that recently grew scabby 

 potatoes or beets if it can be avoided. 



FERTILIZERS. • 



The best fertilizer for the potato crop is undoubtedly stable manure 

 sitread upon a clover sod before ])lowing in the fall. If spring plowed, 

 spread the manure on during the winter or early spring. The i>lowed- 

 under clover will in itself make a good fertilizer. 



If it is desired to use a chemical fertilizer, our experiments made dur- 

 ing the past few years indicate that a "home mixed" fertilizer contain- 

 ing 4% nitrogen, 7% phosphoric acid, and 10.8% potash used at the rate 



