Complete Text (Part 16)

main crop on the heavier. The soil should be rich. Humus, if supplied in the 210 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES year the Potatoes are grown, may come from good com- post or very well-rotted manure. If fresh, the manure may cause scab. For safety, the manure is best supplied in the fall, and ploughed in; or it could be heavily fed to the previous crop. Or in farm operations green manure (leguminous crops), ploughed in, will both give humus and help to open up the subsoil. Chemical fertilizers may previously be applied at the rate of about fifteen hundred pounds per acre. If the Potatoes are grown on a large scale, a special study of the needs of the soil is advisable. (See Texas Bulle- tin No. 71). For smaller operations a high-grade ferti- lizer may be used, rich in potash. This should be ap- plied down the rows and well covered or worked into the soil before the Potatoes are planted. Over-feeding, either with manure or with chemical fertilizers, is not advisable, as too rank a growth of foli- age invites blight. The soil should be in the best of physical condition. Sod-land (grass land freshly turned), lightly dressed with well-rotted manure and with about one thousand pounds of fertilizer, is good for potatoes. Seed, like land, should be free of scab. It should be of the very finest. Northern-grown seed, especially that from Maine and Vermont, is considered the best. (Seed is here used in the sense of seed-piece. Actual potato-seed is never used except by experimenters for new varieties.) POTATO 211 The seed-piece. — Many experiments have been made, to ascertain the proper size of the seed-piece. Each Potato has a seed or a bud end, which sprouts early and has the most eyes; and a butt or stem end which is slow to start, and which is rejected by many growers. It has been proved that the size of the piece, rather than the number of eyes on it, is of importance in giving good results; consequently, whole Potatoes have been shown to give ,, the largest yield both of salable and small Potatoes. If used whole, moderate-sized, rather than very large or very small Potatoes, are the best to use for seed. But the expense of planting whole tubers is so great that practically to potato cutting i , i i p . * • or seed-piece. plant halt or quarter pieces is wiser, except for small areas. All pieces should be chunky, and not thin ; pieces the size of hens 1 eggs are proper, weighing about three ounces. If they have to be stored after cutting, keep them in a cool place with wet cloths laid over the box to keep them from wilting. Starting before planting. — For early results, Potatoes may be artificially started. Ordinary methods allow the Potatoes to be exposed to light and air in a room of moderate warmth until the Potatoes sprout, when they are cut and planted. A better method is to select the Potatoes of a uniform size, and to range them, seed-end up, either in 212 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES dry sand in shallow boxes or in trays with slat bottoms. To save space the trays may be set in a rack, with circulation of air between them. Expose to the light (but not the sun) in a room of fairly uniform tempera- ture at from 60° to 75°, six to eight weeks before the time for setting out. When the Potatoes are ready to set out they may be held back, for as much as a fort- night if weather conditions are poor, by controlling the temperature; at the right time they may be set out, and will give marketable results a week to a month before the ordinary crop, while the yield is likely to be larger. An advantage of this method is that the seed Potatoes need be no larger than hen^s eggs. By still another method the Potatoes, cut in half lengthwise, or to ordinary seed -pieces, may be set closely in a coldframe and covered with four inches of light earth. Give enough air to prevent condensation of moisture on the glass, and in a late season keep the frame cool so that the Potatoes will not come on too fast. Started about two months before they are wanted, (or late in March) in an ordinary season the sprouts will just be showing above ground at the right time. They are then set carefully in the field, and will give an early yield. (See Rhode Island Bulletin No. 36.) Similar treatment in a hotbed will bring them on more quickly. For very small operations, Potatoes may be started in pots under glass. Distances. — Rows apart, for hand culture, twenty^ POTATO 213 four to thirty inches; for horse culture, three feet or more, Plants in the row, twelve to eighteen inches apart; the richer the soil and the better prepared the closer thev may stand. The custom of planting two small seed-pieces close together is not so wise as that of planting one of large size, which will not dry out so quickly in a drought, and will better withstand wet. The withered seed-piece is between the four tubers. Distances are also a matter of variety, plant strong- growing or large -yielding kinds farther apart. Depth.— In heavy, clayey soils three inches may he allowed. But generally speaking, it is not wise to plant less than four inches deep; if planted shallower the tubers may be sunburnt, if deeper the cost of digging increases too much. It is well, however, to plant the late crop a little deeper than the earlier. Sow. — For early crop, sprouted under glass, set out when frosts are past, about the last week in May. Set 214 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES seed-pieces for medium crop about May 1, or when heavy frosts are over. For late crop, set seed-pieces the first week in June. Transplanting. — In setting out Potatoes which have already sprouted, be careful not to break the sprouts. Culture. — Cultivate once or twice before the Pota- toes break ground, to kill the weeds and preserve the mulch. After the plants are up, in case of frost cover them with straw or earth at night. Make every effort to preserve soil-moisture. Cultivate after rains, and keep the soil in good condition, until the plants cover the ground. The early cultivations may be deep, but when once the plants are growing well cultivation should be shallow, on account of the surface-feeding roots. For the same reason it is not advisable to hill up the plants, unless the loam was so thin that shallow planting was necessary, or unless the plants are of an early variety which forms its tubers near the surface. In these cases hilling may save the Potatoes from sun- scald, but moisture will be wasted and the. upper roots will be injured. To keep the soil in good condition from five to ten cultivations will be necessary, according to conditions. Mulching with hay or manure is possible in garden practice, to increase the yield and save labor. Apply when the plants are growing well. Fertilizer. — As above stated, fertilizer should be POTATO 215 applied to the ground before planting the crop. Some growers apply the fertilizer broadcast before sowing, and harrow it in; many cast it directly in the row and cover it with earth before dropping the seed-pieces. In any case it should not be allowed to touch the seed- pieces. The mixture may contain nitrogen three per cent, preferably as nitrate of soda; phosphoric acid six percent, preferably as dissolved boneblack or superphosphate; and potash ten per cent, preferably as sulphate of potash. Or, using a different formula, an application of 1,300 pounds per acre may be given by a mixture of 100 pounds nitrate of soda, 300 pounds cotton-seed meal, 200 pounds ground bone, 400 pounds acid phosphate, 300 pounds sulphate or muriate of potash; the formula being nitrogen 3 per cent, phosphoric acid 3 per cent, potash 12 per cent. It should be remarked that the sulphate of potash gives a better-looking Potato than the muriate. Voorhees remarks that for late Potatoes, having a longer period of growth and usually grown on heavier soils, applications of 600 to 800 pounds per acre may prove enough, the formula to be nitrogen 2£ per cent, phosphoric acid 6 per cent, potash 8 per cent. Harvesting. — The early crop may be dug when the Potatoes are of marketable size. Very early Potatoes may be got for the home table by carefully digging a 216 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES few from each plant, taking care not to injure it. This operation is called "grabbling," and is occasionally resorted to by market-gardeners. For the late crop, remember that so long as any part of the plant is green the tubers continue to grow. At a Vermont Station test "more than one-third of the crop was made after September 1." (Farmers Bulletin No. 35.) Dig carefully with an ordinary fork, which is probably better than the potato hoe; for large opera- tions there are special machines. It is wise to keep the Potatoes from the sun.- Storage. — After the Potatoes are dug, get them away from the light as soon as possible, and store in bins or barrels in a cool, dry and dark place. Storage in the South is a troublesome matter, and the " seed " has often to be im- ported. Potatoes should not be frozen, as they are thereby ruined. Diseases and pests are chiefly, to the parts above POTATO 217 ground, early or leaf blight, late or true blight (some- times called rot), brown rot, the flea-beetle, and the potato- beetle, or potato-bug. These can one and all be controlled by spraying with a mixture of Bordeaux mix- ture and Paris green. Convincing figures are given in Bulletin No. 221, New York Experiment Station, Geneva, 1902, also Bulletins Nos. 264 and 267, 1905, to show that not only for diseases and pests but also for the plants themselves Bordeaux mixture mixed with some arsenite, usually Paris green, will give results that will more than repay the cost. "Commence spraying when the plants are six to eight inches high and repeat the treatment at intervals of about two weeks as long as the plants remain green. Usually six applications will be required. Use the one to eight formula Bordeaux mix- ture, adding Paris green or other arsenical poison when 'bugs'are plentiful." Apply thoroughly. It is not wise to wait for the appearance of disease, but " those who wish 218 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES to get along with three sprayings should postpone till there is danger of injury from 'bugs 1 or flea-beetles, and then spray thoroughly. . . . There is no excuse for using Paris green alone for * bugs.* Whenever it is necessary to fight insects alone, use Bordeaux containing Paris green." — New York Bulletin No. 221. Use four to six ounces of Paris green to every fifty gallons. Scab is an underground enemy of Potato, causing the familiar roughnesses of the skin. Against it: (1) Plant on scab-free land. (2) Treat the seed, either with a solution of corrosive sublimate (two and one-half ounces in two gallons hot water ; dilute in ten hours to fifteen gallons) or with formalin (mix eight fluid ounces of formalin ["otherwise known as forty per cent formic aldehyde" — Farmers' Bulletin No. 91] with fifteen gal- lons water). Seed-potatoes should be thoroughly washed, and soaked in the solutions, corrosive sublimate for one and one-half hours, formalin for two hours. All seed soaked in corrosive sublimate should be either used or destroyed, on account of the poison. Or roll the seed-pieces in sulphur, three hundred pounds per acre, strewing the remainder of the sulphur in the open row. Minor troubles of the Potato are: Tip-burn, leaf- burn, or scald, caused by too wet or too dry weather: spray with Bordeaux and cultivate carefully. The mole cricket, usual on wet land: plant on dry ground. The stalk-weevil : burn infested tops. For the brown rot POTATO — PURSLANE 219 stalks and vines should also be burned as soon as diseased. For bacterial blight, rotation. Special treat- ment for the flea-beetle, besides Bordeaux and Paris green : tobacco dust or decoction, kero- sene emulsion. POTATO, CAN- ADA. See Jerusa- lem Artichoke, under A. POTATO.SPAN- ISH. See Sweet Potato, under S. * PUMPKIN. See Squash. or French Furs] an PURSLANE m .m {Portvlaca Oleracea) Oue-third natural „ize. is our common Pusley, which in itself is a passable pot-herb, but is best grown in its cultivated forms, of which Vilmorin - Andrieux names three; they are, however, seldom offered by American seedsmen. The common weed is a trailing plant; the developed kinds grow upright, with larger leaves and fleshy stems. The plant is tender to frost, but thrives 220 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES in heat. The young leaves are sometimes used raw, in salads. Soil should be light, rich, and quick. Distances. — Rows a foot apart. Depth. — One-fourth to one-half inch. Sow when frosts are past, about June 1. Thin to four to six inches apart in the rows. Pick the leaves and young stems in about sixty days ; a plant will give repeated pickings if not too severely stripped. It is best not to allow the plant to go to seed, but it is not likely, in the cultivated varieties, to become a pest. PURSLANE, WINTER (Claytoniaperfoliata). Win- ter Purslane is given by Vilmorin-Andrieux as a plant of a different genus. Apparently it will stand some frost. Cultivate like common Purslane. * QUINOA is Annual Goosefoot. See under G. RADISH (Raphanus sativtis) is grown for its roots, which are eaten raw. It is hardy in frost and likes a cool situati6n; its varieties — spring, summer, and winter — can be grown the season through, although quite different in characteristics. The spring, forcing or fall Radishes are of quick development and as quick decline, soon becoming hot, stringy, pithy, or hollow. They are frequently sown with slow-developing crops, RADISH 221 being out of the way, if picked at their prime, before the others need the ground. The summer Radishes are larger, grow more slowly, and stay in good condition for a much longer time. The winter Radishes may he grown much as beets or turnips, and can be stored over winter. Shapes of Radishes vary from spherical through half-long to long; the color of the spring Radishes is Fit. 107. Seedlings of Radish. Nearly natural siie. chiefly red and white, but the summer and fall Radishes are also yellow, gray and black. For best results the seed of Radishes should best be sifted through a mesh of two-twenty-fifths inch; smaller seeds give a variable crop. The great pest of the Radish is the root-maggot, which is so troublesome that in some soils the plant cannot be successfully grown until the pest has been starved out. Coldframe culture in such soils is possible, however, since the season is too early for the maggot. Soil for early Radishes should be light, warm, and 222 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES quick. Later sowings, after frosts are past, should be in cooler ground. The Radish does not like, however, clayey or heavy soils. The soil should be in good physical condition, though for the round spring Radishes only about four inches of ^■()?\ good soil is necessary. Distances. — For the ' spring Radishes sow in drills six inches or more apart and thin to two to three inches. Or sow broadcast in small beds. For sum- mer and winter Rad- ishes sow according to size of variety, gener- ally in drills twelve to eighteen inches apart; thin to six inches. Depth. — About one-half inch. Deeper in summer, or in dry soil. Sow. — If sown under glass, Radish must have a cool temperature with no bottom heat, or it will run to top. Early and late coldframe culture suits them; if in the house, day temperature may be 65" to 75°, night 45° to 50°. They may be forced the winter through. of Bprlnff Rodi§hea. RADISH Sow spring varieties outdoors as early as the ground can be worked, and for succession every week or ten days until the middle of June. Sow again in late August for the fall crop. Summer sowings seldom do well, and should be in cool ground with partial shade or a northerly exposure. Pig. 1<M. Radishes, varieties from May through July, every two or three weeks for succession. Sow winter radishes in May or June. Of these there is usually but a single crop. Sow always thinly. Thin to three to six inches, according to variety. Transplanting. — Where the time and labor can be given, transplanting will give better results, as the weak plants are discarded and the crop will be uniform. Transplant at the fourth leaf. 224 THE BOOK OF VEGETABLES Culture. — Thin early, preserve the surface mulch. Pick the spring and summer Radishes when of the proper size, according to variety. The summer Radishes i the ground after reaching the right size, a r than the spring Radishes. Dig the winter radishes in the fall, and store in sand or in pits. Use. — Before eating winter Radishes, soak an hour in cold water. Pe.tts. — Chiefly the root-mag- got, which may be killed by inject- ing bisulphide of carbon into the soil near the plants — a process not worth the results. It will be better to dress heavily with un leached wood-ashes after sowing, or still more heavily with tobacco dust. ""tL'rTy todtahVTon* Or sprinkle once a week with car- naif natural iln. y^ ad( j en]u l s i an? one to thirty. Screen to keep away the flies. If these fail, try rota-