Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-03-05
From The albany Culiirator.
GuITIIRE 0E pOT TOES.

L. Tucker, Esq-ln the last number of the
Cultivator, YOU expressed wish that should
give particular account of the process of cul-
ture by which have succeeded in raising the
unusually argecrops Of potatoes which men
toned to you in former communication
There is nothing in my plan either difficult or
original and am only surprised that greater
crops are not generally raised knowing as
do from experience, that to produce 500 bush
els per acre, is, in this vicinity, an easy and
simple process provided the season is mode
rately favorable. For potatoes prefer soil
composed of sand and clay i'll about equal pro-
portions, resting upon clay subsoil. On such
piece Of land which has been in grass few
years, haul out i'll February OF March six
four horse wagon loads of good stable manure
TO the acre, (about 50 bushels to the load. y
The manure is Immediately spread and turned
under by inyerting the sod TO the depth of ten
inches at least. About the last Of April spread
on the inverted sod, about three additional wa
gon loads OF manure TO the acre. Harrow the
ground lengthwise with the furrow. Cross
pillow TO the depth Of four or five inches, and
harrow again. BY this time the last manure
applied is well mixed with the soil, and the
land is in a fine state of filth. The first of
May, mark out the ground in rows three feet
apart each way, with large two horse pillow,
TO run as deep as the first blowing. A good
plan is also to let the bull tongue pow follow
the furrows after bar-share plow. This
breaks up and loosens the subsoil under the
rows. A subsoil plow would | suppose do
the work better, but we have none, and the
bull-tongue answers very well, as 1t loosens
the subSol and does not throw it up. We
plant the "iong reds" using large potatoes for
seed, cut into pieces with about four eyes each,
nd hos OH
twenty bushels OF seed to the acre. The seed
is thus planted deep, on loose mellow bed,
and the ground after the planting is completed
mas perfectly level appearance. The after
culture is quite easy and simple. As soon as
the plants are two inches above the ground
pillow them with the bull-tongue as near TO the
hills as possible; If most of the plants are COW
cred up, so much the better In two or three
weeks plow again both ways; by this cross
blowing the earth is well looSeped and thrown
up around the hills, in a sort ofhollow square,
a little depressed in the centre, presenting a
broad surface 10 receive rams, and convey the
moisture to the roots of the plants. The hoe is
used TO destroy such weeds as have escaped
the pillow, and to give the hill the proper form.
Care is taken not to make those conlcal shaped
hills, which used to be the fashion, so admira-
bly, calculated to carry off all moisture from
inc ruolS o! te plants. nave lOunu liie hhg
rcd TO be the most productive Of any kind Of
potatoes have ever cultivated. have tried
the Rohans for two years, but found them to
weld al least 30 per cent. less than the long
reds. | have never tried planting in drills, and
prefer hills on account of cross blowing which
| consider very important. know that 500
bushels per acre can be raised by my plan, for
] have done it three years in succession IN 1912,
y and "A. In the year 1874, the rot made its
appearance in my potatoes, and | supposed
that about 200 bushels Were destroyed. Last
spring, in addition to the other manure, APP
Piled about 40 bushels of wood ashes and
bushels of refuse salt per acre to my potatoe
ground The ashes Were spread with the last
application of manure, and the salt sown
broad cast after planting the seed. think that
the ashes and salt had some tendency TO pre-
vent the disease, as it was less destructive to
my crop than ii had been in 1914, while the !
crops ofmany Of my neighbors suffered much !
more than in any previous year.
Respctly. yours, Sc. WM. Mccoy.
Franklin, Peadlcton Co. "a, Jan. 10, 1916. !