NEW YORK, JUNE 14, 1902. 
$1 PER YEAR 
FARMING IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY. 
POTATO PLANTING ON A LARGE SCALE. 
All Done By Machinery. 
Part V. 
SELECTING SEED.—Selecting our seed stock is 
one of the things to which we pay special attention. 
For the past nine years, or since we began to raise 
potatoes for seed on a large scale, our aim has been 
to select only those potatoes for seed that were of 
medium size, smooth, true shape, and first-class in 
every particular. This year we shall plant about 100 
acres of this selected seed, from which our own seed 
will be saved and our contracts filled. By this pro¬ 
cess of careful selection we are enabled to keep our 
stock up to the highest degree of ex¬ 
cellence, although our seed has never 
been changed since we began grow¬ 
ing. When planting potatoes the pro¬ 
duct of which we will sell on the gen¬ 
eral market, we use much medium¬ 
sized seed, measuring from 1 y 2 to two 
inches in diameter. Last year our 
crop contained many knobby pota¬ 
toes, which could not be sold for seed 
as first-class stock, and will therefore 
be cut by hand and planted. The Ear¬ 
ly Ohio, Acme, White Ohio and Bliss 
Triumph are the varieties grown at 
present. The Early Ohio and Acme 
are our standard varieties, and those 
that we grow most largely. The White 
Ohio is grown to supply a growing 
demand from seedsmen, and the Bliss 
Triumph supplies our southern trade, 
being grown for the early market. 
MACHINE CUTTING—Practically 
all our seed is cut with a machine. If 
these cutters are operated intelligent¬ 
ly, seed can be cut as evenly and as 
well as by hand. The knives of the 
cutter are arranged so that potatoes 
may be halved, quartered or cut in six 
or eight pieces, depending upon the 
size of tne potato. The second-size 
seed, when cut in halves and quarters, 
makes the best we have to use in the 
planters. Large seed bothers some¬ 
times about feeding in the planter, and 
the pickers are not as sure of getting 
one of the pieces as when smaller. 
Each cutter is provided with an in¬ 
clined trough or feed box. This box, 
which has a slatted bottom for separ¬ 
ating sprouts and dirt from the pota¬ 
toes, is six feet long, eight inches deep, 
one foot wide at the end nearest the 
cutter, and two feet at the other. A 
small block nailed across the bottom, 
on the end next to the cutter, prevents 
the potatoes from running into the 
cutter directly. The lower end of the feed box comes 
within two inches of the jaws of the cutter. The po¬ 
tatoes are taken from here by the operator and as 
last as taken out they keep rolling down from above, 
thus keeping a constant supply close at hand. A man 
can cut nearly twice as fast with this simple rig as 
from a basket, and 70 bushels are considered a good 
day’s work with large seed. Formaldehyde is, we 
believe, much superior to corrosive sublimate as a 
remedy for Potato scab. After being soaked with the 
formaldehyde solution the scab could be rubbed from 
Ihe potato with the hand. It is also much safer to 
use than the corrosive sublimate, not being as deadly 
a poison, so that stock would not likely be injured by 
drinking the solution or eating the soaked potatoes. 
POTATO GROUND.—In preparing ground for pota¬ 
toes we begin at least one or two years ahead. Last 
year the land which we are planting, 140 acres, raised 
the following different crops; potatoes, wheat, corn, 
flax and oat hay. Although we prefer to plant after 
corn and oat hay, good crops can be raised after 
wheat and flax. It is not our practice to plant pota¬ 
toes on the same land oftener than once in four or 
five years, and the only reason why we are doing it 
this year is because of a partial failure of the crop 
last year on that particular piece, and of its being 
especially adapted to potatoes. Part of the ground 
which is being planted, that which had flax and corn 
on last year, was harrowed twice with the steel har¬ 
row, the teeth being set slightly slanting; the re- 
WHITE LILAC FRAU DAMMANN. 
5 
Fig. 162. 
planted three inches deep, and with our depth of 
plowing this leaves from two to three inches of loose 
soil in the bottom of the furrow. In covering we set 
the disks so as to ridge the rows at least three inches 
above the level; this allows a good body of soil to be 
harrowed down before the potatoes come up. The 
three planters, a standard line of machines being 
used, are all equipped with disk coverers. They are 
used because they may be adjusted to ridge the rows 
much more than the common scraper coverer. Six 
acres is all we can plant with each machine in 10 
hours, though manufacturers claim more. On the 
corn and flax ground the planters bothered us quite 
a little, owing to the large stubble. The corn was left 
standing and husked in the field last Fall, and con¬ 
sequently we had about four feet ot 
stubble to take care of. 
NO WASTE.—In cutting our pota¬ 
toes it might be said that we never 
waste the seed end, but endeavor to 
cut each potato so as to get the most 
eyes and the least waste. They are 
sacked, as soon as cut, ready to haul 
to the field, and whenever we are de¬ 
layed from planting for any length of 
time, all cut potatoes are emptied out 
in a dry place, not over a foot deep, 
and allowed to dry. We have lost 
some seed previously by allowing cut 
seed to remain in sacks for three or 
four days. It begins to heat and rot 
in a very short time. Dry seed also 
feeds much better in the planters than 
fresh cut. j. d. b. 
Wolverton, Minn. 
6 
See Page 
mainder of the ground is put in fine condition with 
one harrowing, the teeth being set straight. We har¬ 
row our potato ground as soon as plowed, and the 
planters are kept about one day behind the plows. 
PLANTING.—We plant our potatoes in rows three 
feet apart and 15 inches apart in the row. For the 
past few years they have been planted 13 inches apart 
in the row; but this year we are planting them far¬ 
ther apart on account of the high price of seed. It 
requires only seven-eighths as much seed to the acre 
as when planting 13 inches, and this will save us 
about 200 bushels of seed, and we believe the yield 
will be fully as good. The number of bushels of seed 
required for an acre varies from 10, while planting 
large seed, to nine in medium-sized seed. They are 
PENNSYLVANIA GRASS. 
We have seeded grass alone in the 
Fall for meadow, more or less, for 15 
years, always with good results, and 
our experience teaches that the qual¬ 
ity of the meadow, or the amount of 
hay cut, is dependent very largely on 
the fertility of the soil. We have al¬ 
ways prepared the seed bed well, but 
not anything like the “Clark meth¬ 
od.” Last Fall we prepared two acres 
that had been in oats. The land was 
plowed as soon as oats were off, then 
harrowed and dragged until very 
fine; on part of the piece some yard 
manure had been spread and harrow¬ 
ed in. We then drilled grass seed 
(Timothy and Red-top) using plenty 
of seed and 200 pounds per acre of 
good fertilizer, going one way; then 
crossed, using the same seed and fer¬ 
tilizer as betore. The entire cost as 
near as I could estimate for labor, seed 
and fertilizer, was about $18 per acre. 
At this writing (May 16) all the manured part and a 
part where no wind could strike is very fine, but 
where there was any sweep of wind there is very little 
grass. Our soil is clay loam, rather heavy, and in 
very good condition as regards fertility. If I seed 
again I shall use the same heavy seeding, and if I 
do not have manure heavier application of fertilizer, 
but will not work the ground so fine, as I consider 
this a detriment rather than a benefit on our soil. 
After we have secured a fair seed bed the less we 
work our soil the better it comes out in the Spring; 
quite a few clods covering a fine moist soil seems to 
stand our climate best. c. j. w. 
R. N.-Y.—It is evident that no cultural rule applies 
to all soils equally. 
418. 
