Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-05-06
VOLUME IX.--NO. 80.
WHOLE NUMBER, 472.

WHOLE NUMBER, 472.
while the imperfec: product is of varied
size end Of inferior quality. BY thesys.em
Of Aat culture, the first tubers being tho
only ones, .hey..inerease rapidly in size
no now ones are formed, because no new
part Of the stem is covered BY soil. Tho
whole result of decay of the original seed
tuber goes to feed these potatoes, and
regularity Of size and superior quality is
the consequence.
Second W hole and not cut potatoes
should be used. Having established tho
fact, We may thus define the cause. When
whole potatoes have been used as seed With
the skin unbroken, we find after the per-
fection Of the new plant, that this old tu-
bes still remains in the soil, Of its original
size, and slightly increased in weight.
/ Upon a close examination, however, We
shall find that the starch has been removed
from this original tuber, aud that it has
been replaced by water, the Immediately
surrounding soil comparatively dry and en-
! ;ircly free from acidity. When cut pota-
toes are planted, different result takes
place for wan. Of the protection of the
skin. On the exposed part the set rots,
acid is formed, and the germ has feeble
nGtrition for want Of starch Nor will
the drying Of these sets, or coating them
with plaster Of paris before planting, pro-
duce an artificial skin, sufficiently effective
to prevent the sloughing Of the set and
consequent clamminess and acidity, always
found in the soil Immediately surrounding
it. / consider these as sufficient arguments
to settle the question as to cut and uncut
seed.
Thrd-Large and not small potatoes
should be selected for seed. The larger
the potato, the greater the quantity of
starch as compared with the number Of
eyes. In the smaller potatoes, the mate
rials intended to form starch, have not
perfected their growth and combination SO
as to become perfect food for the new
plant. By increasing the size of the seed
each year, it is we'll known that we in.
crease permanently the average size Of tho
SORT. My experience with the Mammoth
Nutmeg Potato, goes to prove this fact
most definitely. 1t ia now a fair sized
potato, but six years ago it was entirely
too small to be merchsntable.- In corrob-
Grafton of this, permit me to say that
few years since one of our members sug.
gested the propricty of gouging out the
eyes from potatoes with the ordinary gougs
of the chairmaker's, SO as to leave half q
sphere Of the flesh Of the potato attached
to each eye, thus enabling the farmer TO
use the mass of the potato, planting the
eyes only. We tried this plan and found
that the eyes from one bushel CT potatoes
would give the same number of potatoes
as the results Of another bushel of the
same kind of potatoes planted whole, but,
alas! the weight and measure of those
raised from the eyes were less than one.
third Of that raised from whole potatoes.
The pareing or peelings Of potatoes are
sometimes planted as seed, and the eyes
will certainly grow, unless the potatoes are
too economically peeled But oontinu-
ance of such practice, in addition to the
reducing the amour. and value of crop,
will eventually produce very small potatoes.
A few years since German method for
raising potatoes went the rounds Of tho
agricultural press, and We tried it fairly
and faithfully. 1t was stated that when
the plants were one foot high, they should
be bent outward from the centre of the
hill and covered with soil to within an
incn of their extreme ends; when another
foot Of growth had transpired, it should
be bent inward, and again covered as be-
fore, and SO repeating the bendings and
coverings until the ends of the vines shall
show blossom, when this process is to
cease ard that the result would be, that
potatoes will form all along the stem, pro-
ducing fifty times the number that would
be produced by the old system. As to
number, it proved to be nearly or quite
true, but as to size and quality, they were
below any potatoes We have ever
seen. From all this it would seem that
practice and theory 60 to sustain each 9TH
er, and that it is therefore fair to infer,
that the theory is not to be considered ~
Corn FERrILIzER.-Them mode hayo
prac,iced for several years, with great
success, is-immcdiatcly before depositing
the seed in the ground, to mix two quarts
of soft soap with half bushel of seed
corn; after that is done, put good sup
ply Of Plaster with the above, and mix
,,o Ill ,noo.har