Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1850-04-03
WEST BRANCH
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From the Milne Farmer.
Porous Soil for Potatoes.

"blessingsb brighten rs they take their fight. "
The good old-lashioned potato used TO be
raised so easily, and were so abundant that
we never realized their worth until the po-
,a,o 70, came, and then the blessings be.
gan to brighten, after they had taken their
high, beyond our reach. Some remarks
in regard TO The culture Of them we think
would no, be amiss, even if not quite in
season TO apply them in The &C. o. planting
We have always noticed that the best
crops of potatoes are raised in what may
be called porous soil. For instance, new
grounds that have been burnt Overland are
tuIl of half burn, leaves and sticks. and
ashes and coal-andigreenswards that have
been turned over by the p!ow aud are not
compact.
From these facts xe have supposed that
although the vine of the pota,a'o requires
some source TO obtain potash which enters
into its substance largely. yel i: requires
chance where the atmosphere can have &C
cess to its tubers, and that while j, is nec-
essary tha, they should 10, be exposed to
the scorching sun or drowning walter, yet
air is a very impoItan! element III lis sue
cessful cultivation, and this il obtains IN
such situations as we have described above
IN looking over seme OF the writer's who
have ventu.ed to suggest anything on this
subject, We find one quoted in the New
York Farmer and Mechanic. who seems
TO think that the atmosphere aaords the
principal part Of the rc.rlshment to this
crop. !, is ...,.- mat We do not yet, after
all the researches in the chemical action OF
the clemens. know how they are always
sssimila,ed, nor what peculiar changes and
affinities are cilect-d during the growth of
plants. Il is no. Impossible that decompo'
si.ions and re.composi,ions which are si-
Ien,ly gong on in The tire plant, may be
such as 10 form substances from the ingre.
dents of the atmosphere and the aerilorm
substances and vapors wi h which j, is filled,
,ha, we supposed must have come from The
soil alone. That the potato, for instance.
can derive in some mysterious or hitherto
unknown process, potash. and lime. and
soda, and the other mineral matters il con-
,a:as, from The atmosphere. aud hence the
reason why il shrives best in such porous
aoi as we have mentioned.
Among the many plans devised 10 cult
,a,e the potato, if you have not piece o'
burn, ground or turf, the breaking up Of
sward.land and manuripg with coarse
s.rawy manure, Il you are sure of suti'cl'
eni moisture, is ;Se best.
The writer TO hom we alluded above,
ssys that the following is the most success
ful plan that he has found in the cu'iva'Io"
o. this vegetable. and lha, be speaks from
experience.
Select piece of hard tramp'ed ground,
The harder The better. A lot on which
stock of any kiad but particularly hogs
have been kept aud fed, will be found to be
the best. Break i, up we'll. thoroughly and
deeply, one way, no matter how cloddy
and do nol harrow ii any. but le, the clods
remain unbroken. The ground being thus
broken one way. lay it off into rows the
other wav. or across the plowin2. Two and
hall or three fee, aparl. Open these with
a piow, running il back in the same luTrow
20 as to open the trench as widely and as
deeply as possible ; cot all The large seee
po;a,oes so as to have sufficlency OF eyes
on each piece. Then crop them IN aeou
six inches apart. Now fill the trench witt
straw Or chafF, or il neither OF these car
be obtained, with leaves from The woods
or trash Of some sort. This is very impor
fan, 10 successfu! caltiraiina OF The Poia
TO, no, as is generally supposed. becanse ii
gives The po'ato room to grow and exfant
IN, (rhough this is Of some Importance blu
because, as We have shown, ii furnishes
wi.h y Kind OF bed or nu.sery to grow IN
Ne Go no, deny that a may receive SOM
rntriIneni from the decomposiug s.raw.,bu
then it must he enlirely d'iferen. from tina
afforded by soil. as the straw must be en-
tirely tecomposed before !, can enter INT
composition oi soil. Trenchesthus fllel ma,
Lecovered with the rlow, and .he" "miidles'
entirely broke BY The plow 10 the rldse,,s'
as 10 leave a fnrrow only between each
Two worki.e,s, a wedding, and then alier
wards, a, The proper Time hliiing u?.eac'
aided by the Plow about twice between
each row. will generally complete the Gu!
tivs,ion.
>--~--~-y--,--,~~----
Corn and Potatoes together.