Potato-Growing Contest

Checking 1939 Yields in

Five Growers Have Fields In This Year's Competition.  Vocational Agricultural Students Tabulating Results

    For the second consecutive year vocational agricultural students of Central high school here are checking yields in the Premier Potato Grower's Contest for Grand Traverse county.  This contest is staged to stimulate better table stock production on the farms of the county.

   This year five growers of the county are entering their five-acre fields in the contest, with James Simsa of Grawn, P. C. Morrison of Yuba, Neil Morrison of Williamsburg, Harold Stinson of Kingsley and Russell L. Bush of Thompsonville in the competition.  In determination of the yields, five 40-foot rows are taken at representative spots over the field.  These samples are harvested and graded according to U. S. No. grades.  Yields of from 279 to 374 bushels were made in last year's event by the different growers.  Good cultural practice and close spacing of tubers at planting time with an appropriate fertilizer program of from 300 to 500 pounds per acre seem to be essential in good potato production.

   It is found that thorough seed bed preparation and an adequate spray program is of major importance in producing higher yields.

   Before leaving the field, a 50-pound sample is taken, representative of the field of run potatoes.  This is sealed, and will be placed on exhibition at the Northern Michigan Potato and Apple Show to be held here November 8, 9, and 10.  Before awards are made, the judging of the sample is rated, made with the yield and percent of U. S. No. 1's.  A silver cup will be awarded by the Michigan Potato Growers Exchange and is the final trophy for the contest.

   This competition considers yield, quality and showmanship.  Last year Harry Lautner of R. F. D. 5 won at the local contest.

 

INSPECTING POTATO CONTEST ENTRIES

Photograph of many men inspecting potatoes in the field

 

A group of vocational agricultural students of Central high school are shown above (in photo) as they harvested the premier field of James Simsa of Grawn Monday morning.  Last year M. Simsa's field was one of the highest yielding fields in the county contest.

Grading out 88 percent of U. S. No. 1's.  These potatoes will be seen at the Northern Michigan Potato and Apple Show here next month in competition with other samples from this territory.  (assume this was written in October of 1939)

 

Grand Traverse Region by Brenda K. Wolfgram Moore
Email Brenda with comments or help with names
Allowed Use by: MIGenWeb Grand Traverse
20Dec2005