Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-09-25
Misteuataolts Matter.
Preservation of Seed Potatoes.

BY J. N. CHANDLER, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN
The potato, when first obtained from its
native mountains, was small, watery and
even bitter tuber. By cultivation it has
been brought into so high and refined
state that most Of the countries of the civ
lized globe look on it as one of the most
important articles of food. How has this
great change been brought aboute How
has every one who has planted the potato
assisted in refining it? Generation after
generation has adopted the same treatment
which has wrought this change. 1t may
be asked by what means? l answer, by
violating tie laaCs of nature
The natural place for potatoes is in the
earth; but most of those which are used
for planting are out of the ground from five
to seven months in the year. When we
dig them in the fall, we find them, if ma
tured, when baked or boiled, to be dry and
mealy. They are generally put into cellars
to remain until spring. As warm weather
approaches they are often removed to some
out-building, to remain several weeks,
which renders them less fit to grow. Out
of this out-building we select our potatoes
for seed, although some of them may not
be planted before the middle of June
much wilted, of course-and the remainder
are left for summer use.
Every one who has ever noticed the diff
ference between the flavor of a potato in
the fall, when first dug, and one in the
spring which has been kept in large dry
cellar, has observed that the flavor becomes
much impaired-much more so than those
which are buried in holes in the earth,
where they retain nearly all of their fresh
ness and vitality. 1t has also been observed
that farmers who have small and inconve-
ment cellars keep their potatoes in better
condition than those who keep them in
large cool ones. Hence, by storing them
in the latter, and letting them wilt before
planting, they become weakened in their
nature, and are subject to degeneracy, and
finally to disease.
In order to obtain good potatoes for seed,
make choice of a small spot of arabic land
on which water will not stand-an eastern
slope and new ground are the plough
ed early in the spring, and furrowed four
or five inches deep, two and half feet
apart. Select middling sized potatoes
which have touched the ground during the
winter previous, but do not cut them.
Drop one every eight inches along the fur
rows, and cover them by filling the burrows
with earth. Then cover them with a top
dressing of forest leaves or straw two inch
es deep. AS soon as the tops of the young
plants are two inches high. pass between
them with a shovel-plough; do not hill.
This is all you have 10 do until fall. When
the ground begins to freeze, cover with
straw, chaff, or forest leaves, SIX inches deep,
to keep them from frost. Your potatoes
will now have chance to ripen and rest
during the winter. In this way, you will
have the greatest yield and best quality
Continue this course from year TO year and
the rot will not only disappear but yom
crop will increase from twenty-five to one
hundred per cent. The third year y ou
may increase your field crop by plowine
in fine manure. You will now have had
Natures course.-Patent Office Report.