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Show HOW TO GET MANURE INTO POTATO LAND Farm manure for potatoes may be applies to a previous crop, such as corn, beets, or garden stuff. It may j be added as a i thin coating after I beans or on alfalfa or grass sod previous to breaking. Another growing grow-ing practice among successful growers grow-ers is the fall or winter applcation on fall plowed land. Turning under in the fall is preferred, but to leave the manure on the plowed ground all winter to be worked into the soil in spring with a disk is also counted satisfactory. If the land is not fall plowed, it is still good practice to apply the manure in fall or during the winter, even on top of snow. Unless Un-less the land is steep and compact, so badly eroded as to form channels, or frozen under the snow there will be little loss from the carrying away of manure in the run-off when the snow melts. Land manured in this way is best plowed as early , as possible pos-sible in spring. If for any reason fall or winter application is not made, the manure should be added at the earliest possible pos-sible time in spring. It is also advisable ad-visable not to use manure containing much coarse straw or cornstalks for spring applications unless no other manure is available. The turning under of coarse manure at the same time that the potatoes are planted is risky, especially should a dry period follow planting. Poor stands and delayed de-layed growth are likely to result. Besides, potato scab is encouraged by an abundance of coarse manure. Finally, Fin-ally, irrigation and cultivation are more difficult than when the manure is well enough broken down to be in a state of active decay. Moderate quantities of manure have given better results for ordinary ordi-nary potato crops than either very light or extremely heavy applications. applica-tions. Truck farms sometimes apply 20 to 00 tons of fresh manure to the acre, but 15 to 20 tons is likely to bo more satisfactory, at least for general farming. The manure should be spread over the land at the time it is being hauled out, and as uniformly as possible. Manure spreaders are more efficient than hand spreaders. To make small piles to be scattered later in another operation oper-ation is wasteful of labor, and since it prevents uniform distribution it is also wasteful of manure. Much of the fertilizing element is leached into the soil directly beneath the pile, leaving only the resistant remnant rem-nant to be scattered, sopecially if these piles are left for any great length of time. Horse and sheep manure deteriorate more vapidly in piles than do cattle and hog manure. ma-nure. George Stewart, Professor of Agronomy, Utah Agricultural College. |