Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-03-15
Small Potatoes for Seed.
MEstEs. EDIroEs.--It seems to be {


an undecided subject with many farm rs,
whether small potatoes are suitable for seed
or whether they are as good as large ones to
p ant, some asserting that they are, and 9th
ers as st snuously denying The fact. AT the
present time, when potatoes bear 50 high Il
price, and She prospect being that in some
sections it will be difficult to obtain u suf-
cient quantity OF seed for the next crop, it
appears to me to be Of considerable upnr-
tance that facts in relation to the subje t
should be disseminated anon. the farm RS
who are engaged in raising this crop. I
propose therefore to give the result of my ex-
periencc on this subject
Some eight years siuce, at the time Of
planting my potatoes, came short of seed
topant. Previous to this time had used
large whole potatoes, or the seed ends Gu
of, for seed, and supposed that no other
would answer; and now, according to the odd
theory, must either 90 aud buy more seed,
(Which was scarce, and dear at lhYt,) or pint
in some other crop on my land "nch was
fitted for potatoes. | resolved to do NJ h.
er; bpt try The experiment OF planting small
potatoes; the largest being about the size Of
common plums, but the most OF them being
smaller carried several bushels of these
little things to tho iield,und commenced pan
ting them, putting from two to four in hill.
My falher, who was at work with me at the
,ime laughed at me some, saying he "guess-
ed if the crop was small as the seed, that !
| should get sick Of digging them" and | /,
thought SO myself. Indeed it looked like !
small business any way could fix it, How
ever finished my planting with them, and
waited FOR the result. TIL, potatoes in the |
different parts OF the field came up NJ the
same tine, but the vines rom the small po-
tatoes were not as urge and thrifty as those
from he large At the first hoeing,t I'll ere was
some difference in the tops, bu' alter that
the tops from the small potatoes 10 pked 10
well as any in the field, and continued to
through the season. When came to dig
them. found the potatoes where the small
seed were planted, TO be as good in every re-
spect, as those where the large potatoes were
planted. There were us many in hill, and
the potatoes we're as large, and with as few
small ones, os those from the large'seed,
At the time commenced using small po-
tatoes Tor seed, the tarme r. around me said,
perhaps you will get one or two good crops, !
but then your pointocs will run out--thcy
will be all small ones, and they will moi yield
uny, and you will have to 20 to planting
large potatoes ngon. But as yet have
found no occasion 10 return 10 my former
method Of planting. Since that time | have
usei small potatoes for seed; not SO small as
some OF those | planted ut first were, but
suoh as are too small to eat. aud which the
callers in potatoes will not buy for market
In going abSut among the farmers who use
large potatoes for seed find no b,tter look
ing, or better eating potatoes, than those
which ] raise from small potatses, aud other
things being equal, ! get as large cro"s, Cne
spring, foon after commenced using smal,
potatoes for seed farmer of thls place came
~ my house TO plrchase potatoes (or seed
o going into my cellar whert my potatoes
were, he remarked, "What fine 10, of po-
tstoes--those are nice~-they are the best |
have eenths spring" Alter we had put !
up the potatoes which he had bought, he F,
turned tot pile of small ones which ! had :
picked out for my own seed, and inquired
what was going 10 do with those litle po- : :
tatoes. lrepled, that was going to plant =
them, Said he, "1'hose are not good Tor
snythipy 70 plant, ara theyp told him
that the potatoes he had jus, bout were rais-
ed fromPs small potatoes as those little ones,
and that would give him some Of these small =
oneslfhe would take them home, and plant
them oa the same kind Of soil,and give them ]
the same treatment as he did the large pota-
toes. This he agreed TO do,and he being
! careful. systematic farmer, haG no doubt
but that he would give them a fair trial In
.he fall after he had harvested !ds crop, he
told me that the ANAL potatoes producsd us c
nsny, ss larss snd as good ones, as the ]