The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-05-11

large quantities of vegetable matter, whom sufficient
ly drained, have produced great crops and what in
new conalries is termed muck land is favorable to
their growth. Two things in potato soil seem
tobe Indispensable; it must be rich ora crop can
not be expected; and must be sufficiently loose
10 allow the shoots that form the tuhers spread an
enl arge freely. In Europe the British Islapds are
Justly famed tor their culture " the introduce
hon Of the potato into Ireland has enabled that
country 10 double its population; if has not BAN
shed want and distress, these evils are not Of as
frequent recurrence now as formerly, notwithstand
ing the increase OF consunars. Cobbett, indeed
charged upon the potato all tho evils OF Ireland;
and DR. Tissot has demonstrated TO his own salis-
faction that potato eating nation has ever pro.
duced a great man, ... , .rec r. rr
The greatest crops of potatoes on record, are
those grown by General Barnnm, of Vermont,
which reached from 1900 TO 800 bushels per acre;
and he gives it AS his opinion, that in good soil,
and with his mode of culture, from 800 to 900
bushels per acre, are not uncommon. Mr. Bache
! Of Wellsborough, Pennsylvania, in 1889, raised
600 to the acre, aud tho crop of Mr.. doris Of Cat,
,araugus. in this State, fell but little short The
average crop in the country can not we think be
estimated at more than from It's to $50 bushels the
influence of the seasun being more felt in this crop
than many others. ... . ,
The methods OF planting are various.--General
Barnum's mode, after a careful and thorough prepa
ration of his land is to plant in drills, % inches
part, and the sets in drills inches from each
other The dls are kept clean, but the earth is
hilled around the plants only in the season;
as he considers there is much danger of disturbing
the young tubers by removing the earth causing
the formation of new shoots for ,ubers by repeated
hoeings or billings. The cret of his great crop
appears to consist, in his bringing rich fresh earths
the scrapng of bitches streets earth fiom the
barn yard or the mould deposited IN swamps and
4 giving each hill shovel full, as top dressing.
He does this with the aid of horse and cart, the
horse and The wheels passing between tho rows {
We have seen very good potatoes grown simply
dropping the seed a clean turf, and spreading
? yer them covering Of straw, six or eight inches
! in thickness The straw must be evenly placed,
and jfmoved by the wind before il gets settled to
geiher, which it will soon do, 1t must be carefully
replaced. This covering Of straw keeps the sur
face moist, and the grass cannot spring up hro' it,
and in the fall the potatoes found the
face OF the turf. and perfectly clean wen tbs susw
is removed. The danger in this Spode of planting
would seem to lie in dry season which is dte-
quen,y fatal to the crop; and a'heavy crop is rare
y in this may produced .i...-.L
In the Monthly Visitor for February, lS40, is an
account of an experiment with potatoes, (which was
eminenIy successful and deserving of notice in
the spring Of 1879, Mr. Whitney, of .Crafisbpry,
Vermont, ''broke up piece of green sward, har-
2 rowed it thoroughly carted upon it manure from
the yard at the rate OF 80 ads the acre,
plowed it, narrowed it again, and planted il in the
D usuaI manner hills.-At the proper blowing be-
tween the rows, the piece well hoed, and al
the proper time repeated. In the fall he dug from
this piece the rate Of 800 bushels to the acre
: which, on account OF the rust, was considered
good yield BY the side Of this piece, on precisely
e the same quality of soil, manure was carried ana
spread at the rate Of 81 loads the acre; the
h was then carefully turned over, and the burrows
= laid fiat with roller. Between every other fur
e row, where they came together, Chat is betwee,
h the Sd and 4th and SO on) holes two feet apnr
e were made with sharpened stick. about incht
deep, large enough to receive The seed. Into eacl
g hole one piece OF potatoe was put, .fnd the hole
IL filed up with mellow soil, with the genera
% service of the field. There was no further iabo
IS bestowed upon the crop till the digging, when III
N quantity produced was a little over 400 bushel
f per acre. Although never hoed, not weed wa
Ii seen in it. Before digging, the field had the ap
III pearance "f being we'll hoed, the pota toes havin
r; raised up the ground above them
al all cases the value OF early potatoes IS grea
To and particularly in the vicinity of cities, wher
ct a constant demand, and ready market for such We
OF etabes, always exist.-Experence has taught tn
es growers OF the potatoes for the London marke
that ripe potatoes be found from 10 to ID day
earlier in hills drills planted with sets from I'll
nd top end Qhe one that has the most ayers) than
I'M those planted from tho root end Of me Auher. III
en- Lancashire gardeners therefore assert their selts
he have them ripen at the same lime, and ih'
e- obtain roots for market sooner than they othe
wise could do 1T is probable that quite an in
& provement might in this country be effected in Il
or same way Cultivator. li d9at nr .,ts
H. III I'm --77-=-=---- --7-- =
.es BETROTHED VS.. MOTHER.
he singular and painful litigation has recen,
he been in progress at Boston; one which TO all kind
he'll hearts must cause resret, uthough none can "