Show WATER FOR POTATOES I Before Planting Land Should Be I Thoroughly Irrigated When V Vines nes Begin to Turn Dark In InI Color It Is IndiC Indication That Moisture Mols Mois I ture turo Is Needed Needed Needed-Don't Don't Dont Be Afraid I to Cultivate Continually I IAn An observing writer in The Irrigator Irrigator Ird gator a Journal of the irrigated region re reo re- re gion glon of the Northwest gives the following following fol tol- fol- fol lowing lowing very rational outlines of at potato potato po po- po tato growing by irrigation There is no particular number of times Umes during the season that potatoes should bo be irrigated The Tho idea that there Is is fundamentally false although although al al- al though it is followed by some growers growers grow grow- ers era and usually accompanied by hi fail fail- ure The que question is simply wh whether ther theror or not the plant at a given time is In need of water Before Defore planting potatoes the tho land should be irrigated no matter how damp the soil may appear to be at the time timo of planting g. g The ground should be ditched with an ordinary ordinary hay and the water run over it for tor fori i 1 period that will vary from one to four days If land is new from sagebrush sagebrush sage sage- brush it will probably need to be Watered watered watered wa wa- three or four days You can ludge Judge whether it has been w watered enough when the ground is thorough- thorough y y soaked in fact muddy In this watering you can hardly get the ground round too wet so that the moisture will go down Into the soil eight or oren oren oren en feet thus providing for six weeks Jr r two months plenty of or moisture from beneath After the ground has out sufficiently for a horse to ta stand upon it it should be plowed It should then bo be harrowed lown fine fino when it is ready to be bo planted Potatoes may be planted 12 2 15 or 18 inches apart depending n the richness of the soil and tho the thease ase lse of at a large piece of seed is advis advise ible It pays to give the plant plenty Df Sf f sustenance at the start The potato potato po po- tato Into patch will not need watering now antil nUl It is in bloom if these directions bavo been completely followed out Keep cultivating after atter the plants ome up continually and dont don't be to cultivate with the spike spike- tooth both harrow after they are four or orlive live five Inches high as the very few that rou Tou will damage with the cultivator- cultivator will be nothing compared wl with h the rhe benefit derived While the plants tre no In bloom It Is a wise plan to an eye on the patch from day to tolay tolay lay and if It you find Ond any place as rou ou look over the field where the ines are turning dark in color It I that they need water and it its B s time to begin Irrigating In any the plants should be Irrigated they have gone out of bloom or the reason that It Is at the time f blossoming that the tubers set and he number of or tubers which will set pon the plants depends In a measure the amount of moisture In the loll 1011 Of course If your plants turn lark before blossoming It means that here Is not enough moisture the soil iou and you had bad better Irrigate but this will not occur If It sufficient ng has bas been done In the beginning After the first Irrigating lITigating when the plants lants are in bloom the only rule can be given Is to Irrigate the atch latch as often as It Is necessary to tho the soil four or five Inches below be be- low ow the surface of the ground nicely so that when you reach your land In and bring out a handful of It itin m in n the grip of the hand and open tho the hand again the tho dirt will clearly show showie he ie Indentation of the fingers and be airly moist A year ago on the poato potato potato po- po tato ato patch which the writer grew it was as necessary to irrigate about every ve days because the hot weather was drawing the moisture out of the tho soil and the earth was too dry be- be eath the surface Of course it is possible to irrigate potatoes too nuch but more failures result re re result re- re sult suit from giving them too little wa wa- wa- wa ter However no mans man's advice will you In this matter and your your success success suc sue cess will depend upon applying the rules of nature with gOO good judgment In ditching between the rows for forthe he the water to run runS ditch as deeply as possible This is very Important as asIn asIn In n running the water through the ditch great pains should be tal taken en that the top of the water In the tho ditch Is not high enough to be applied directly to the tubers A small stream running running run ning a long time In the bottom of the ditch Is better than a n big stream running a short time |