The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-02-19
.'''--.-F From the Country gentleman.
f4 Potatoe Culture and Rot.

MKssRs. TucKEa AND SoH LIN aletter pub
lished ia the CousruY q GENTLEMAN, some time
last spring, Lstated 10 you the method in
tended to adopt tn the culture Of potatoes the
Or, 8, mt season, and if Irecollect rightly, used
some pretty sanguine expressions as TO the
success of that mode OF culture to prevent the
lOss of The crcp by the rot. AS l receive
many inqui.ies rs to the result, take this
method 10 inform all such as have interested
tn. m selves in this matter. how FAR | have
succeeded in realizing my exPeca ions. ln
consequence Of the severity Of the winter and
the great depth Of snow, my land, situated in
this Heidelberg region, vas not 10 q situation
10 cultivate until some time in May, which
believe, SO far as the crop was concerned,
m ade no material difference. The dry season
that soon after follow, d, tffrctually prevented
any growth of weeds. BY running light
double mould. board pillow ir,qu.ntly between
the rows, the land was kept in a friable con-
dtion. and the growth Of vines was not very
materially retarded by the very dry weather
oil July and August. There was no DISPOSE
lion to form tpbt rs until after the remarkably
heavy fall Of rain about the goth August
They then grew very rapidly, don't know
that was ever so much delighted with any
Geld cropI ever undertook 10 cultivate, as with
this. The vines or stalks grew up rank
and green, with large broad leaf covering
the ground 70 that the rows could not be
distinguished. The Strawberry potatoes. fol.
lowing their own natural instinct, sprawled
ovei the ground and covered the entire surface
like patch Of cucumber vines. | fsncied
my aniclpations we're this time to be fully
realized. You know have always insisted
upon ary digging as the only means Of es-
Gaping the rot. Accordingly about the 2Oth
Svplt mber con mtnced digging with a small
force. The vines exhibited rs much vi or Of
growth as at any time previous. The entire
op had obtained a goodly growth as to size,
but Notwithstanding the skin would suck up
and peel off in such way as to entirely dis
courage me from further digging at present.
Alter digging some four days concluded to
let them r, main 10 the ground another week.
Aeodt th' 30.h Sept. last, as had decided to
take them out " whether or no." we had that
other heavy fall Of rain. II was full week
before we could again go ino the field
When We did SO, the soil WIS very clanimy,
and adhered more or less TO the tubers. The
second day some few were found affected by
the disease the third day more the fourth
day more sull aud by the fifth day very few
lhn. were not affected by the rot could be
fund. OF all that had put into the cellar
Of the early digging, none comparatively ale
now affected by the rot, whine nearly all Of
those gathered after the last heavy fall oi
rain, after selecting out such as had no visible
| appearance OF the rot, soon after they were
housed, whether in the cellar, barn or, wagon
house, spread out or heaped up, were lost
| Out of about 400 bushels Of The strawberry
variety, have succeeded in saving say 30
bushels that will 20 through. The alp,ar-
ance OF the tubers before they were attacked
by the disease, ex' eeded any thing OF Ihe k'nd
in beauty had ever grown. You may judge
tee a good deal CREST fallen, especially after
inform you that had selected out abou; one
bushel Of various sizes and sent out to Ber.
muda for the fall planting in that island. All
my other varieties manifested the same dispo.
slIon TO rot, excepting the Carriers, the Backer
Rtrerpes, and the English Kidneys. The
Garrett Seedlings in this vicinity are an entire
failure as FIR as can learn. Out OF about
30 bushels of the Calico MERGERS, have per-
hAps four barrels now remaining, that app sar
to be sound. So you see. F.lend Tucker,
how unwise it is 10 "count chickens before
they are hatched."
am OF the opinion and not alone in it, J
that had | succeeded in securing the crop be-
fore the last heavy fall Of rain, should not
now havs to lameut over the loss OF slmo.
my entire crop.
The yield tor field culture was abundant
averaging bushel from ten to fourteen hills
| should perhaps say that ] used on the
acres over 100 bushels hen mani re rnd ashes
well composted. The soil OF the whole field
may se called gravelly loan, underlaid BY
hardpan, from l8 inches to 2 feet-they hat
NO other culture but blowing between the rows
| lrc.nt 10 k...n d,,u,, w..h, q w Drn.nr