Orchards Growers Digging Early Potatoes

Lewiston Orchards, Aug. 5. — Digging of early potatoes was general throughout Lewiston Orchards this week. Indications were, however, that the work would be spread over a period of two or three weeks because sales are not being made readily and many are digging only as they sell.

J. R. Mullarky, north-central Idaho fruit and produce inspector, reports most growers have about three-fourths of a normal crop. He hesitates to attribute the condition to improper use of water in all cases, but feels that failure to apply water in sufficient quantities during the early growing season accounts for the decreased yield on many tracts.

Potato’s Fame Grows

K. C. Parker, secretary of the irrigation district, added himself yesterday to the growing number of property holders who are becoming sold on the Katahdin potato. He said it is well adapted to propagation under irrigated conditions, because it does not produce a growth of knobs when watered late in the season as do most varieties. Instead, it puts out additional small potatoes, leaving the original tubers smooth.

He told of an experiment with Katahdin potatoes that convinced him of its superiority in this respect. He let a patch of them get quite dry. Then about two weeks ago he gave them water. The vines revived and began to put on new potatoes but no knobs appeared on the original crop. Mr. Parker said similar experiments with other varieties produced a large amount of knobs. He feels that the Katadhin has another virtue in that the luxuriant foliage shades the hill and helps the ground to conserve the moisture.

Alfalfa Grows Rapidly

Mr. Parker reported a larger than usual planting of late potatoes. The crop is coming up well and producing a good stand, although some which were not irrigated sufficiently were scalded by the recent hot weather. He said the third crop of alfalfa is coming along rapidly and will be ready to cut about August 25.

Mr. Parker reported that apples were not seriously injured by the record heat two weeks ago. Only a few apples on the ends of limbs and the tops of the trees and those where foliage was thin suffered to any degree.

Bees Produce Heavily

Bert Schroeder reports his bees have produced the best crop of honey this year of any of the five years he has been transporting them to clover fields for the summer. The last of the honey was brought in this week from Reubens, where the 50 hives have reposed in a 140-acre alsike clover field during the growing season of the crop.

Mr. Schroeder attributes the increased production to the coolness of the growing period and to the abundance of moisture in the area during the late spring. The clover is being harvested now and the bees, their work done for the summer, will be returned to Lewiston Orchards in about two weeks.

This story was published in the Aug. 6, 1939, edition of the Lewiston Tribune.