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Show ! 0JNKIE IDEAL ! i PRODUCING ? EARLYPOTATOES St. George Could Produce T New Potatoes for Early 1 Salt Lake and Ogden Mar-1 Mar-1 kets, According to Expert U The possibilities for producing l potatoes in Dixie for the early northern markets are unlimited, according to L. L. Porter of Hatch, Utah, who has been here this iw week working in cooperation 'with " County Agent Walter F. Smith. This phase of the market garden-ing garden-ing industry has been undeveloped I here, chiefly because of the lack of proper knowledge of methods for securing the best results. Following are a rew suggestions given by Mr. Porter for the pro-I pro-I duction of this vegetable for early marketing: An old alfalfa field is recommended, although any well fertilized plot will be good, sloping to the north is preferable. Crown M i the alfalfa, mulch well. Plow eight , j or 9 inches deep, mulch well again, ,!. and irrigate, thoroughly soaking; I mulch again before planting. mj The seed should tie planted three - or four inches deep. Early varieties such as the Irish Cobbler or Bliss i Triumph are recommended. The 5 plant should be hilled up twice after it has started through the I ground. This makes about eight inches of mulched soil over the po-SlljU po-SlljU tatoes. They should be cultivated "j every week until blossom time, but not watered until then. m I According to Mr. Porter, the po-ill; po-ill; tatoes should be planted at the same time the apple trees blossom, blos-som, or about the last week of March, in St. George. The potatoes will be ready for market ninety .. days after planting, or about July ' first. With our mild climate here, 1 r it is possible to raise two crops in ' St. George and vicinity, he said. i In the past it has been a com-S9 com-S9 mon practice in Dixie to plant the seed in February. At that time, according to Mr. Porter, the plant is subject to the ravages of the 140 silid insect, the carrier of the dis-lUi dis-lUi ease known as silid yellow .which I has been the cause of potato fail-I fail-I tires here. Tests in potato raising here have . '); been made by several in Dixie with remarkable results. In the summer Jll of 1929 Gerald Seegmiller planted a plot under the supervision of Mr. Porter, on April 23. The crop was harvested July 10, with an j average yield of 340 bushels per , fi acre. The potatoes sold for 7 cents i per pound. Another project worked work-ed by Milo Kemp produced new potatoes in 60 days. After harvest- Cing the crop, another was planted, and mature potatoes raised. ' S. J. Barnhurst raised 330 bushels bu-shels per acre, which he sold for 5 cents per pound. ; Mr. Porter has had wide experience ex-perience with raising potato seed. Some of his products have been itet examined by Wm. Stewart, senior horticulturist of the United States department of agriculture, who re-tfPorted re-tfPorted thsm free from any dis-jease, dis-jease, and commended Mr. Porter for the size and quality. At the state fair in Salt Lake City in gg 1930, Mr. Porter made five seed entries and took five first place ""boons, and in the sixth annual ' (termountain seed show at Ogden, v January, 1931, he was awarded first and two fourth place rib- |