Fertilizer for Potatoes 
With manure and a good legume 
sod turned down, apply 600 to 800 
pounds of a 4-10-10 or 4-12-12 or 
160 to 200 pounds of plant food in 
a 1-2-2 ratio. Without manure, the 
1-2-2 ratio furnishing 200 to 240 
pounds of plant food, such as 1,000 
to 1,200 of 4-8-8, seems best. For 
early potatoes the total plant food 
might be increased to 240 or 260 
pounds, using the 1-2-2 or a 1-2-1 
ratio, such as 1,200 to 1,500 pounds 
of a 4-10-5. 
Hardware Disease Among 
Cattle 
Just a little care will blot out this 
trouble entirely. Too many val- 
uable animals have been lost by it. 
See that metal scraps are always 
cleaned up after repairs, etc. ... 
so the cattle just can’t get hold of 
the nails, bolts, staples, wire, etc. 
Kill Poison Ivy 
At end of summer, this pest is 
weak enough to be knocked out 
with a dose of sodium chlorate. 
Spread about 3 pounds per square 
rod on the ivy patches on moist, 
cloudy day before ground freezes. 
If you can’t get chlorate, try for 
ammonium sulfamate, or next, 
borax. 
Watch out for poison ivy smoke 
when burning the plants. Don’t 
walk through this smoke. The poi- 
son is often more active in volatile 
form than when growing. 

““KATAHDIN’’ (CERTIFIED) 
A very mealy variety. Oval-shaped—very 
smooth—shallow eyes. Matures a little before 
“Green Mountain.” Fine yielder. Vines dark 
green—thick, heavy foliage. Gaining in favor 
each year. 
““SEBAGO”’” (CERTIFIED) 
One of the newer varieties from Maine; late and 
blight-resistant. If sprayed will continue to grow 
until the frost gets them, consequently a greater 
yield of fine-appearing tubers. Many reported 
that Sebago lived through the dry weather to 
make good crops after the late rains. 
TREAT SEED POTATOES 
WITH “‘SEMESAN BEL’’ 
2° MORE PER BUSHEL 
You can't get good yields from disease-weakened 
plants. Even the best seed can be affected by 
some of these soil-borne diseases. “Semesan 
Bel” offers you easy, low-cost control of Rhizoc- 
tonia, scab, and other soil-borne diseases. 
Results are remarkable. Practical applications 
show an average increase in yield over a period 
of years of about 10%. Yet it costs so little—2 
cents per bushel, one pound treating 60 bushels. 
Simply quick-dip in solution and plant. 
Don't let disease rob you of potato profits. 
Treat ALL seed, including certified. 
THOUGHTS FOR THE TIMES 
The Golden Rule is the best yardstick of farm-life 
values. 
Even in wartime, better production at lower cost 
is more important than more production at any cost. 
To increase the size of a farm without buying 
more land, clean up all waste places and idle corners. 
With trees more valuable now, why not increase 
present and future income from otherwise idle land? 
For forest tree seedlings at almost no cost, how 
about writing your State Forestry Department? 
We may blame many things on the war, but we 
can blame only ourselves for sowing inferior seed. 
The least expensive way to learn something about 
farm progress—same as with any other business— 
is to Keep accurate records. 
Larger investment and higher operating costs on 
the farm must be met with larger yields and higher 
marketing efficiency. 
Feeding high-value feeds to low-value livestock is 
walking on sinking sand. 
A half day spent at the Better-Farming Demon- 
stration may be worth more than a week spent at 
hard work. 
When farm operators add ‘‘and Sons” to the busi- 
ness name, they make it much easier to Keep the 
boys on the farm. . . . Give the son an interest in 
the place, and he will take an interest in it. 
37 
