POTATO 



POTATO 



1419 



the eai-ly ones and about two inches deeper. Inter-til- 

 lage should be given about every ten days, keeping the 

 _ground practically level, and be continued late in the 

 season, that an earth-mulch may be kept intact to con- 

 serve moisture during the hot, dry period when the 

 young tubers are forming. Three to four tillings may 

 suffice for early Potatoes, six to seven for late varieties. 



1932. Potato blight. 

 True or late blight on the left; early blight ou the right. 



The yield per acre of Potatoes in the United States is 

 meager, 88.6 bus. being the average for 1899. Under 

 favorable soil and climatic conditions, with rational 

 methods of procedure, 200 to 400 bus. are not uncom- 

 mon, and under superior conditions more than 1,000 

 bus. per acre have been secured. H. C. Pierson, of Pit- 

 cairn, N. Y.,won first prize for the largest amount of 

 Potatoes grown from one pound of seed in a single sea- 

 son. By dividing the eyes and planting them in the 

 greenhouse in the winter, and after a little time re-di- 

 viding them, and this continued until many plants were 

 secured, he was enabled to raise 2,558 lbs. of Potatoes 

 in the open from one pound of seed, being an increase 

 of more than2,500 fold. A. P. Rose, of Peun Yan, N. Y., 

 and C. F. Thompson, of Lee, N. H., secured, by simi- 

 lar methods, 2,349 lbs. and 2,118 lbs. respectively. The 

 low average yield is due, in part, to the ravages of the 

 many enemies of the Potato plant, which, uncontrolled, 

 sometimes destroy the crop, and usually seriously dimin- 

 ish the yield. In the United States the Potato is not so 

 universally used as in Europe, though its use as a food 

 is steadily increasing. The average annual production 

 in the U. S. from 1881 to 1890 was 169,809,053 bus., 

 while the yield in 1899 was 228,783,232 bus., which sold 

 for an average price of thirty-nine cents per bushel. 

 New York stands first in Potato production, producing 

 28,707,976 bus. of the total yield. The crop of Europe 

 aggregates more than the entire wheat crop of the 

 world. The average production of the European coun- 

 tries from 1881 to 1890 was: Prance, 396,746,138 bus.; 

 Austria, 306,984,697 ; Germany, 891,732,040 ; Russia, 

 300,315,070; the United Kingdom, 228,093,397 bus. In 

 1898 the United States exported 581,833 bus. and im- 

 ported 530,420 bus. For further information, consult 

 the Experiment Station bulletins, Carman's "New Po- 

 tato Culture" and Terry's "A B C of Potato Culture"; 

 also bulletins and reports of various experiment sta- 

 tions. 



The most common enemy to the Potato plant, the Col- 

 orado Potato bug, is easily destroyed by applications in 

 a powder or in a liquid of Paris green to the vines 

 when the bugs first appear. The fungus Phyfophthora 

 infestans causes the true blight (Fig. 1932), which re- 

 sults in the potato-rot. The true blight may be kept in 

 check by frequent and thorough sprayings with Bor- 

 deaux mixture. It is always well to incorporate Paris 

 green with the mixture that any remaining bugs may 

 be destroyed. The Bordeaux mixture is also useful in 

 protecting in part the plants from the flea-beetle. Two 



or three applications are usually made during the 

 summer. The early blight is more common than the 

 true or late blight. It causes the shriveling and death 

 of the foliage (Pig. 1932). It is usually the combined 

 result of several causes, chief amongst which are fungi, 

 flea-beetle, drought. Thorough good care and spraying 

 with Bordeaux mixture are the best treatments. A good 

 Potato field should look like that in Fig. 19.33 (adapted 

 from American Agriculturist) ; and the picture also 

 shows a good spraying rig. i p_ Roberts. 



Potato Culture at Norfolk. — The Irish Potato crop 

 at Norfolk, Va., reaches about a half million barrels 

 annually. It is planted in February and March, and 

 marketed in June and July — say from June 20 to July 20. 



The land for Potatoes ranges from a sandy loam to 

 a clayey loam, all on a subsoil of clay. Some years 

 the higher sandy lands do the best, sometimes the lower 

 more clayey lands give the best results, depending on 

 the amount and distribution of the rainfall, which is 

 generally from 4 to 6 inches per month. The land is 

 plowed with a two-horse plow, in October, November, 

 or December, and then lies until some time in January 

 or February, depending on the character of the winter. 

 It is then replowed, and harrowed down level and 

 smooth; as the land is mellow it all works down as 

 pliable and as fine as the best of garden soil. If Pota- 

 toes are to be grown alone on the land, the rows are laid 

 out with a single plow, turning out a furrow, nearly 

 down to the suljsoil, and 2% ft. apart. Fertilizer to the 

 amount of 800 or 1,000 lbs. to the acre is drilled into 

 the furrows, and a little plow with a sort of subsoil 

 attachment is run in the row to mix the fertilizer with 

 the earth, and to stir up the hard soil at the bottom of 

 the furrow. 



The seed Potatoes are cut to one eye, and dropped 

 about 12 to 15 in. apart, and then covered with a small 

 turning plow with two furrows. As soon as the Potato 

 begins to sprout well, and before it has made its ap- 

 pearance, a smoothing harrow is run across the rows, 

 cutting off the top of the ridges and bringing the Potato 

 sprouts near to the surface. This kills all the early 

 growth of weeds and leaves the land in good condition 

 for the tender plants to break through. As soon as the 

 rows can be followed, a single plow is run along the 

 sides of the row, turning the earth away from the row 

 on both sides. Then a Breed or a Hallock weeder, or 

 any other good weeder, is run over the field, crossing 

 the rows as far as possible at right angles. This leaves 

 the land free from grass or weeds ; and the remainder 



1933. Spraying Potatoes. 



of the cultivation consists in turning the dirt well to 

 the rows; then a short campaign against the potato 

 bug, and the crop is made. About half of the seed used 

 is home-grown. To secure this home seed, a second crop 

 of Potatoes is grown, using seed taken from the first 

 crop, planting about August 1. This second crop stands 

 until the first autumn frosts, say some time in No- 

 vember, and then it is plowed out, and the larger 



