The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1851-03-22
OR iarnler.
EARLY POTATOES.


The earlier you get your potatoes in
TO the market, the better will they pay;
therefore, so soon as the frost is out of
the ground, and the earth in a condition
to be rloughed, and put in fine order,
get it ready, and plant your potatoes.
Soils, S.c.-Grass-swards, Ciorer-iey,
and ncW ground, are said to be the soils
and places best adapted to the growth of
potatoes. Light, loamy soils. well filed
with vegetable matter, certainly grow
the mealiest and best favored roots,-
though for quantity, judging from our
own experience, stiff clays we'll worked.
well MANFRED, and well cultivated, will
contend with the best OF them.
lfyou desire to grow large quantity,
there is no crop that is cultivated to
which more food must be given than
the potatoe. II is greedy, coarse, and
voracious feeder. Its manure, be that
what it may, must be ample in quantity,
rich in quality, and calculated from its
nature, to carry on, from beginning to
end, a continuous supply of pabulum.
There must be no balk in the gratifca-
ton of the appetite of the potatoe,-
whenever its hunger and thirst may be
whetted into keenness, there must be no
lacking in the means of indulgence: -
Teasing one part of its existence, and
starving at another, does not suit the
habitudes, and propensities of this most
excellent root-privations suit not its
taste or its nature--every check upon its
indulgence, paralyzes its energies, and
dc&poils it gifts proportions.
.uanure for an acre of 1and. 1.
Twenty double horse-car loads of stable
and barn-yard manure, 10 of each, 10
bushels of ashes, and bushel of plaster,
mixed well together: 2. The same
number of loads Of barn-yard manure
and marsh mud-salt marsh the best
equal quantities of each:) 3. 10 BUSH
els Of bone dust, and 10 bushels of ashes
and 10 loads ofmould of any kind, mix
ed intimately: 4. 10 loads of marsh
mud, 5 loads Of stable manure, SO bush
els of mari, and bushel of plaster, mix
cd together. 5. 400 lbs. Of Guano, 10
loads of woods mould, and bushel of
plaster, mixed together, would each
make an excellent dressing for an acre
otpotatoes.
Preparation of tie ground.-We hold
that much depends upon the manner in
which the ground is prepared Deep
ploughing, and perfect pulverization,
are essentials to success; SO much so, that
we would invariably use the sub.soil
plough as an adjunct to the other; in Or
der that the bed of the potatoe should
not only be deep and we'll pulverlzed,
but dry, in order that its roots may not
be uniriendly acted upon by excess of
moisture. If the ground selected be
grass-sward, or clover-ley, the roller
should precede the harrow, to compress
the furrow slices, which should be turn
ed flat; and to avoid the disturbance of
the sods, the harrow should be run length
wise the burrows, to be followed by the
roller.
Laying ont the rows.-Lay of the
rows from u to feet apart. The lat
ter dist ancs we prefer, as it allows us
more room to work the potatoes, and
more ample space for the circulation of
light and air, considerations of moment
in the growth of this plant.
Depth ofMe .turrow.--The burrows
should be 5 inches deep, to allow ample
space for depositing the manure, insert
ing the sets and covering.
.Uanuriag and Plnnttng. -Strew the
manure 9 or inches in depth, in the
bottom of the rows, place the sets 10
inches apart upon the top of the manure
eyes uppermost, and cover either with
the plough, Or hoe, as may best suit your
convenience.
Preparation Of the seus.-Wc have
always been in the habit of selecting
the best potatoes we could find, large in
size, and of changing our seed every
second year. And to so cut the sets, as
to have at least two eyes to each. AS
we cut them we rubbed the cut part
either in plaster or ashes, so as to dry
the wound, and prevent bleeding, as
we considered all escape of the juice, or
wafer, as depressing the vigor of the
sett, and retarding termination. After
preparing the sets thus, we spread them
out on some dry place, where we per-
mitted them to remain a week before
planting them. When thus dried, they
are not so liable to rot in the ground,
and come up more regularly.
Time Of planting. We have already
said, that the early planting should take
place, as soon as from the absence of the
frost, the ground can be ploughed and
got in first rate order, and as from the
immense territorial limits of our coun-
try, there are from to weeks differ
ence in point of climate, it is impossible
to designate any day, with more pre-
cision than is implied by the proceed
ing remarks. As to the time of getting
in the late crop Of potatoes, we would
get them in between the Doth of April