THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



247 



Bordeaux will destroy most of the germs and arrest 

 its progress sufficiently to insure in most instances a 

 large yield of potatoes. 



Figure 11. HAND SPRAYER. 



To destroy potatoes bugs take one-half pound of 

 Paris Green, and add sufficient water to make a paste ; 

 stir thoroughly and pour into the Sprayer barrel with 

 Bordeaux Mixture. If the Paris Green is adulterated, 

 use a greater quantity. To destroy the bugs and arrest 

 the progress of blight, frequent sprayings are necessary. 

 Once a week ordinary will answer. 



Bordeaux Mixture. Slack five pounds of fresh 

 lime in a pail of water, stirring sufficiently to dissolve 

 all lumps. Pour the slacked lime into 25 gallons of 

 water. Dissolve five pounds of blue vitriol. (Copper 

 Sulphate) in 25 gallons of water. The vitriol will dis- 

 solve quickly if put in a coarse sack and suspended in 

 a barrel of water, keeping it near the surface. To test 

 the mixture, take a half pail of Copper Solution and 

 fill with lime water, stirring it well. The mixture 

 should be of a deep blue color. If any tinge of green 

 appears, more lime should be added, otherwise it will 

 burn the leaves. To ascertain the strength, dip a 

 polished knife blade in the mixture. If the least trace 

 of copper is found on the blade after a few moments' 

 exposure to the air, more lime should be added. When 

 ready for spraying, the Copper Solution and lime water 

 should be poured into the Sprayer barrel, pouring first 

 a pailful of the copper sulphate solution and afternating 

 with lime water, until the barrel is filled. 



FUNGICIDES. 



COPPER SOLUTION. 



Copper Sulphate, 2 pounds to 50 gallons water. 

 For use only before the buds open. Do not use 

 on growing plants. 



BORDEAUX MIXTURE. 



Copper Sulphate 5 Ibs. 



Fresh Lime 5 Ibs. 



Paris Green 6 oz. 



Water, 1 barrel 50 gals. 



INSECTICIDES. 



KEROSENE EMULSION. 



Kerosene Oil 2 gals. 



Rain Water 1 gal. 



Soap Vo lb. 



Dilute before using with nine parts water. This 

 preparation is valuable for destroying aphides on rose 

 bushes, etc. 



PARIS GREEN AND WATER. 



Paris Green */z lb. 



Fresh Lime 1 lb. 



Water 50 gal. 



Do not use iron or steel vessels for any of the 

 above compounds. Use only wood, earthenware or 

 glass. To avoid burning the leaves of plants, all 

 spraying should be done in the early morning if pos- 

 sible. It is not best to spray plant foliage when the 



day is excessively hot. However, during a continu- 

 ance of such weather it becomes imperative. 



How many bushels per acre may be reasonably ex- 

 pected? We frequently hear of three or four hundred 

 bushels being produced on a single acre. Such results 

 are truly flattering, however we cannot expect such 

 yields from the average potato land. It is fair to pre- 

 sume that good land, well manured, with thorough 

 tillage, will produce from one hundred and fifty to two 

 hundred bushels per acre. The greatest profit is not 

 always derived from the greatest bulk. The cost of 

 handling should be taken into consideration. A variety 

 of exceedingly fine quality, which commands the highest 

 price, although moderately productive, will be found 

 the most profitable. Where close planting is practiced, 

 with heavy manuring, three hundred bushels per acre 

 is not imcommon. Such results cannot be obtained 

 from inferior seed on average land, when the distance 

 of planting is fifteen inches in the row and three feet 

 between them. It means first class seed, heavy manur- 

 ing, close planting and thorough tillage. 



Harvesting the crop is the most laborious part of 

 potato culture. Where there is a market for early 

 varieties, digging usually begins while the tops are 

 green. A fork or hook is best in absence of machinery. 

 Care should be exercised in digging and handling to 

 avoid bruising. The English are very particular in this 

 respect, also to wash the potatoes. Beautiful clean 

 tubers present a fine appearance as shown in the mar- 

 kets of English cities. Late varieties should be fully 

 ripe before digging, after which any convenient time 

 will answer previous to frosty weather. When potatoes 

 are in demand it is time to dig, and the work of har- 

 vesting should not be delayed. 



Harvesting by machinery. With a large acreage, 

 a machine digger is indispensable, The uncertainty as 

 to procuring the requisite help, also the possibility of 

 an early frost, make it imperative. Most diggers are 

 now constructed upon two distinct principles, the ele- 

 vator and rotary. The former, which by an endless 

 chain oif rods carries the earth and potatoes backward 

 and upward from the shovel plow, depend upon a sep- 

 aration by gravitation. The latter, by a combination 

 of rotary movements, not only separate by gravitation 

 but are so arranged that the hills are partly inverted 

 and spread laterally to the right side of the machine. 

 Although the draft of all elevator diggers is heavy and 

 the cost of keeping in repair great, the work is first 

 class. The writer, hoVever, claims a perference for the 

 rotary type. The advantages are obvious, lightness of 

 draft, durability, ability to dig under variable condi- 

 tions, such as dry or wet, green or ripe vines, weeds, 

 up or down hill, including all kinds of soil. 



To protect the potatoes from frost, and even 

 through winter, heaps should be made in the absence 

 of commodious houses or cellars. A cool, dry location 

 should be selected, and a space thirty-six inches wide 

 scraped out to a depth of eight or ten inches, forming 

 a ridge on each side and one end to keep the water 

 out. The length may be as desired. The potatoes 

 should be piled steep enough to shed the water after 

 being covered. The covering preferably should be rye 

 or wheat straw which has been threshed by hand. Two 

 or three inches of straight straw is better than three 

 or four which has been broken by a machine. As the 

 heap progresses in length, the straw should be placed 

 over the potatoes, butt-ends down, and covered with 



