Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-11-07


wrong, but what practice have had, and
what have seen, says am not. There
| is farm about ten miles from here,
which is complete refutation to every
argument which l have ever yet seen
advanced against it. When the farmer
commenced his operations, it was the
general opinion that he was running his
farm: it was poor, thin of soil, and bad
subsoil, but is now one of the best farms
in the neighborhood. But to return to
my potatoe planting, which, had nearly
forgotten. In the beginning of May,
form the land into three feet ridges,
| which will be done by one bout with the
plough; it is then ready for the dung.
1t is the common practice here, to put
the dung into small heaps; one row OF
heaps in every third drill. The quaint
ty / put on is about 90 tons per acre. l
prefer long dung. Spread the dung in
the bottom of each drill, then lay the sets
upon it, and cover them up by one bout
with the plough again, laying as much
soil upon them as l possibly could do,
but by all means cover the dung as soon
as possible. | prefer whole potatoes
rather than cuts, and planted at eighteen
inches asundeI in the row. A neighbor
of mine, who deserves great praise for
his experiments in potatoe planting, al
ways found the produce to be greater
from whole potatoes. had whole pota-
toes planted last year, at both nine and
eighteen inches distance in the row, but
the produce of the eighteen inches, I be-
lieve, was more than double that of the
nine inches. The potatoes intended for
planting should never be allowed to
sprout before they are planted. When
they have been plantedtwelve or fourteen
days, take small harrow, and harrow
the top of each drill down to within two
or three inches of the sets; then harrow
the intervals well, with an implement
called here drill-harrow after which
go once round each ridge with the
plough, covering the top of it with soil
about two or three inches; this should
be done just at the time when the plants
are offering to make their appearance.
When the plants are got about four
inches high, take furrow from each
side of each ridge with the common
plough, going within three inches of the
plants. For this operation l generally
have two horses, and go about nine
inches deep; l then hand-hoe the plants
well in the row: there should be nothing
left lurking about the plants; what the
hoe cannot do the fingers must do: after
which, harrow the intervals well again
with the drill-harrow. l then let it lie in
this state about fourteen days, when l
hand-hoe the plants again; then 60 once
round each ridge with the plough, throw
ing the soil up to the plants little
Just before they close up, l go one bout
with the drill-harrow again in each in
terval, and then with the plough, going
as deep as possible, which will complete
the process. The sorts l generally
plant are Red Prussians, ox-nobles, and
white russets. OF the red Prussians,
generally get about 400 bushels of 81 lbs.
each per acre; ox-nobles more; russets
less. This produce is small in COMPARE
son to some which l see in print some
times, but then it must be recollected
that my crops are not made in the closet.
1t is very easy to make great crops by a
warm fire on a cold winters day, and a
glass of grog at their elbow. AS Mr..
Whitehouse wishes me to give the
management Of my bean crop, will
sometime in the course ofthe summer
l had not forgot it, but there has been
such press Of what is in general Deem
ed more important matter, that gave it
up at that time.
am, sir, yours,
VIM. ROCKWELL.