Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-06-02
AGRICULTURAL.
Cnltirntion OF potntoea.

| Cultivation of Potatoes.
The old practice of killing up corn aud po-
| tatoes is discarded by the best cultivators- -
| Still, there some who yet cling to the old
ways. that might be OF beueit in wet and
! humid climate, where a necessity exists for
| raising the plants up out of superintendent
moisture. But, in climate like ours, where
| long continued droughts parch up the earth,
| as they frequently do in many sections, the
fiat culture, with planting OH or below the
surface, is the better plan. Where the soil
is wen Undetermined aud SUBSIDIZED, potatoes
planted below the surface, without any hill-
ing, succeed the best. In such situations, the
superabundance of lain passes down through
the earth, leaving its ammonia and other Ter
talizing principles for for the benefit of the
growing plants, while IN the dryest weather
the plants search their food deeply in the
generous soil that they keep in vigorous
condition.
We find in the last volume of the 'sTrans-
actions Of the New York State Agricultural
Society," some remarks of Professor Coppock,
before the Erie County Agricultural Society, ~
| that worthy of consideration. In remark
ing that we need to husband, by deep tillage,
&C. ali the moisture we can, for the susten-
auce Of our plants, he adds: ''Hence we re-
| quire flat culture and fiat or sunken garden q
beds, with deep and permeable soil that
shall catch, and oblige to pass through it,
every summer shower"
Ills method OF cultivation he gives as fol-
lows In the culture of potatoes, after the
land is thoroughly ploughed, and narrowed
smooth, plant with the spade thus Strain
| line if convenient, North and South a man
puts in his spade spit deep, say seven inches ~
| the first earth he scatters he then steps back,
and at about twenty inches he puts in the
! spade to the same depth. The soil thus
raised covers the first planted, the third covers
the second, sc. A boy to drop the cut pota-
toes two eyes to hole will attend very well
three lines. Thus you will perceive they are
sure to be at equal depth and width, about
three feet, and in perfect line. The field
| planted, light harrow is passedsover it, aud
| again in the course of eight ten days, dis
! turbing the first growth of weeds, and keep
| ing the surface mellow. After the plants are
up, run a cultvator through once in ten days,
| until they are in blossom, when, after that,
! they should not be disturbed With such
| culture have had great success, and the cost
has not exceeded IS per acre, exclusive of
! seed"
! The killing of potatoes, at the time of hoe
| ing, is not only useless, bit positively inju-
| rious Injurious in wardng of the moisture,
but more SO in disarranging the economy of
the plant All who have harvested potatoes
will have noticed that different varieties set
! their tubers differently. While kinds
are huddled together and near the surface,
otheR' deeper in the soil and more scatter
cd in and around the hill. If left to itself, in
good and generous soil, the plant sets its tu-
bers at their natural distance from the
face, and in that position where they will re-
to the best advantage. So tits with the roots
of the plant that ramble about the soil for sus-
| tenanee for the whole plant. Hence, when
| we hill up the plants at hoeIng time, we COW
er the roots and the incipient tubers to an I'M
natural depth, and the plant is obliged to ex- ~
pand portion of itS energies to overcome this
! unnatural state forced upon. it, which of
| course retards the full development of the tu-
bers, and consequently gives lighter crop,
if it does not indirectly aid in the development
of the "rot.''
The practice of the writer has been in plant
ing his potatoes, after the ground was plough
ed and smoothed with harrow, to drop tho
potatoes, in pieces or whole, according to size,
directly upon the surface, or slightly below
the surface and then to cover, making at
once all the hill desired. The after culture is
to keep the ground loose and free from weeds.
With this method, the labor in the end is less,
particularly the digging is less laborious,
while the result has been quite satisfactory.
Where the soil is not underdrained and well
subsidized, this method is perhaps preferable,
one season with another, to deeper planting.
But, with deep soil, deep planting, and per
fectly fiat culture, is without doubt the best.
At all events, those who have such land
should give Professor Coppock's plan trial
sufficient to make a satisfactory test. Such
method certainly gives the easiest way to con-
quer the weeds Correspondent Of the Rssral
Farmer
SpAD1NG LAND WITH A CATTLE TEAM -
Prof Mapes, Of New Jersey, has in operation
on his farm one of "Gibbs's Rotary Spading
Machines with which yoke Of oxen can
fork up strip of hard ground three feet wide,
and fifteen iuches deep, as fast as they would
walk with small pillow. aEf
MANuRE FOR GARDEN FRu1r TREEs-
Make a compost in the proportion of one load sc
of marsh mud, OF some kindred substance,
five bushels ashes, two bushels of bone-dust,
one bushel of plaster
Form the heap, layer and layer about, SHOW II
ell the whole over, so as to mix the several sub-
stances thoroughly together; let the whole lay
! in bulk three weeks then re-shovel the heap
! over again, and apply one bushel of the COM
/ post to each tree, spreading it under it as far
/ as the limbs extend, digging it in about two
| inches deep, so not to mi IRE the roots; then
rake the ground To expect good, fair fruit
4 without giving food to the trees, is one Of the
things we should never look for with any hops
Of realization.
A PnoFrrABLE FARM.-The farm Of Bryan
Jackson, ne Wilmington, Delaware, consists
of 220 acres. On this farm he employs three
i hands all the year, at S132 per annum. each;
two men extra for six months, at $l2 per
/ month and day hands, whose wages amount
to about $50 q year; making in all for labor,
! n cost of $500 year. Mr.. jackson. in the
| American Farmer, says: 'sthe sales of the farm
the past year will not vary much from fifty
| three hundred dollars
! AsREs ON PorAToEs.-Iore Evidence Of
I Ya5us.--Our readers may remember that Mr..
| Barrett, of Cayuga, published q statement
| that he and his neighbors had prevented all
rot in their potatoes for several years, by SOW
| ing ashes over them, at the rate Of from two
to three bushels per acre, once a week for six
weeks, commencing Immediately after the
second hoeing. Rev. Lyman Smith, of Char
lotte. VT, confirms this statement in letter
to the New England Farmer. He says
he has prevented the rotting Of potatpes
by sprinkling the tops with ashes soon As
they made their appearance. table spoonful
to es9n h as n0 a.Ss. applying TIE sq
mediately alter shower, or upon heavy