The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-09-01
Cut the tops off Potatoes.

We find the following in the Ohio Farm
err
Few people have an idea as To the amount
of nourishinen, that is required TO perfect
huit More is requiIed 10 give the hni
perfection, than IN giving iuli CROWN u
the stalk.
To those raising flowers, this is important,
as the plant then requires lis g'eaies' a.
mount uf nouriShmeui 10 give 10 the uowe'
il, .rra,es, beauty. A. abundance oi wa
Ter. manure and charcoal IL required To give
full rrow,h and beauty TO the blossoms. IL
these are not furnished The blossoms, i''e
perlec,iny oi seed must draw OH The r0o's'
This NAV be easily tested 10y crop OF po'
,aioes. On one part of the crop let The blos-
SONS remain, aud The apples lipen, a'd ihe
stalks will die early. and The ,uheis be small.
P,om the balance Of the cIop, cut the bios.
SONS off, aud The tops, or stalks will keep
green Till time Tor digging the potatoes, aud
the lubers will be far larger.
The whole potato top may be removed
with advantage, by selecting no, snnshlny
day, that the ends OF the stalks, when cut,
NAV dry soon, and prevent bleeding. The
tops. thus cut off. NAV be cured like hay,
and furnish excellen, fodder Tor cattle.
By adoplin. this mode. our farmers can
ge, good ciop Of potatoes, aud more iou.
der from the sane ground. than they VIII
get from an ordinary meadow. BY allow
! ing the blossoms to ripeu into hut, this ic'i'
der, whether for manule or food for cattle Is
lost.
All this is true, bu, will The iubers be
healthy! Is mol The gain in The size OF The
tuber, "A loss in its perfection rs a potato -
And is not this change in the nature ct The
potato, by culiing oil ITS tops, change TO
disease! The circulation Of the blood OF
sap of the potato is stopped IN lis natural
course. and Instead Of coming 10 the air
through lis lungs or leaves Ia receive prin-
ciple necessary 10 lis healthy existence. il
is confined TO the ,uber, depiSed oi nat.
ural element, and thus confned. produces
au unnatural state in the :uber-i' becomes
large potato, bu, not natural one. II
eats finely-p,oduces well-bul does il pro-
duce healthy perfect potato! lsi,no, raih.
er an mnhealhy aud diseased potato! Ger.
tainly il IL u monster, de,erialed iuber, and
T. not cutting The tops To produce size among
The causes that have produced disease IN The
potalol II matters bul lille how the branch.
es aud leaves, the lungs OF vegetables are
removed, the effect is The same. disease or
death follows.
Thus as you approach Mount Washington
you are pleased with The tall, stately spruce,
everywhere to be seen in The dark valleys.
As you ascend the mountain, the spruce
grows smaller, lis branches and leaves, It's
lungs are less and less. ], becomes dis.
eased n YOU ascend. Al length you come
to where the spruce merely trails upon The
ground, and where by all lis efIoi,, !, mere.
" throws up from lis stalk few sickly,
siraglns lungs 10 mark its position dig
away the polar moss, and you will hnd
lot of trbers ga, random z inc upon nj.
ienuaied roots. The tall majestic spruce
lha, would have been with branches and
leaves hauniing in healthy atmosphere,
has eseI,ed all Of its health aud strength
upon cluster Of ,ubers, So il is with the
potato, deprived Of lis lungs, the ,uber is
enlarged-bui unnatural and diseased.