Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-10-15
Che farmer.
Remedy for the Potatoe Rot.

AVA CAAO - OtotOO AeObs
Raise potatoes from the balls, and keep
them after they are dug, from the air and
light. Having pursued this course for seven
years and suffered nothing in the meantime
from the rot, / conclude myself fairly entitl-
ed to the reward offered by the State. /
had been experimenting two years when !
first learned the Commonwealth had offered
the liberal bounty for the discovery of
sure and practical remedy for the Potatoe Rot.
Whether the Committee shall consider me
entitled to the reward offered or not, have
the satisfaction of having discovered sure
and practical remedy, which have borough
ly tested and confirmed. Whatever the
Committee may do. feel myself eatitled to
the honor of being beneiactor to the farm.
-ors Of the State not only, but Of all elsewhere
who culivt the potatoe.
1t now being the season for digging pota-
toes, it seems a favorable opportunity for
making known my remedy for the potatoe rot
1t is az follows
Bury your potatoes as soon as possible
after digging them, avoiding as much as you
,can their exposure to the air and light. They
may be put into an old fashioned potatoe
hole or covered on the surface of the earth,
SO as to protect them from the frost,-l pre-
fer the latter me.hod,-an keep them thus
until the day you want them to plant,
then be careful to use none for seed but what
are perfectly sound aud healthiul-cat or an-
cut as you prefer,--and you will be sure oil
sound potatoes next season, and Just as long
after as my directions are strictly followed.
Seven years trial has confirmed this remedy.
Hence the reason for my complete conf deuce
in it.
They may be well kept, also by putting
them into barrels in the c, liar, and sitting on
dry sand until all the space unocupied by
the potatoes is filled with sand. Potatoes
put up this way, retain their good eating
qualities much better than when put into
bin, as is the usual method. Wives and
daughters have observed and remarked, that
potatoes taken from the bia, to cook, are bet
ter, when taken from that part of it where
the dirt is most abundant, in consequence of
"duuping" them from a cart through a
spout to bin. This fact goes to confirm The
use of barrels with sand, for the better pre-
servaton of potatoes for winter use, and I'M
til new potatoes are produced. Every farm
err knows that light, air, and the heat Of the
sun, each and all, tend to impart the eating
qualities Of potatoes, and it would seem a
fair deduction. also, that these same influences
should impair and weaken the vital power Of
the tubers, thus rendering them liable to dis
ease.
In olden times, most farmers cellars were
dark-rendering it necessary to take light
in order 70 see, and guide the cider tap at
noon.day. In these days cellars we're gen.
orally matchmaking it necessary for farmers
to winter many or their potatoes, oftentimes
in holes. remember we'll how much better
the potatoes were when taken from the hole
in the spring, than from the cellar.
Now it is very different. Cellars are gen.
orally much larger, more airy, and so well
lighted, that no artificial light is necessary
when visiting them by day. There can be no
doubt that the quality and vitality Of pota-
toes are both seriously injul ed when stored
in such cellars as last described, for those
first alluded to did not keep them as well at
the potatoe-hole, as observation amply shows
and confirms.
These are some Of the reasons why | CON
slider my remedy, now made known, sure
preventive if duly observed and practsed
of the Potatoe Rot.
ASA G.. SHELDON.
Wilmington, Oct 9Th, 1857.