The emigrant aid journal of Minnesota. [volume] (Nininger City, Minn. Terr. [i.e. Minn.]) 1856-1858, 1858-04-14
day is not far distant, wwhsn the potatoes & Minussoa

d.y i. not 1sr aiss.as, V6.a the pos.soss & Mious.ssa
will form . stapla aRiele Of export : i saass
There is not an article which tho farmer produces
that enters 90 largely into the common diet Of Ii,
masses, nor one more wholesome, and eonsequently non,
which, on . small scale, more deserves his serious A.
! ~tention. .4 s4a a.4o a s-fJ
Because they are 80 worry cheap this spring, let u,
one on that account neglect their cultivation. There il
no danger Of raising too many for should We chsnc,
to have . surplus, our friends in Illinois OF Missour
will be glad 70 get them. aesl# g ~ e.
Ny main object in this coumuhication has been /.
draw attention, to what I deem the proper cultivation
or the proper mode Of cultivation, Of the potato, but b
tore proceeding to that I will advert briefly to its origin
1t has always been supposed 70 have originated in Sousl
America, in the vicinity Of Peru. It was first intro
duced into England, from the State Of Virgins, il
1854, and given 70 Sir Walter Raleigh, who had i
planted on his estate 10 ireland, where il vas cultivated
to some extent, though it was not generally used 70,
food until near tho sId .ef che 18th century. Wheu
first found, it WAS not the noble, pelatable looking bull
that it now i but it has attained its present size and
favor, BY careful cultivation. In those places where il
Was originally found, it still remains the same insight
can't tuber that it was when arst discovered, nearl,
three hundred years ago. faai SEQ
1t is now used IS food throughout the world, and ap
pears to adapt itself to al climates, and all varieties o
soils !; and an acre Of land will usually yield twice III
quantity Of food planted With potssoes, that it will sowu
With wheat.
Chemists tell US that in 1000 parts Of potatoes there
are $50 parts Of ~nutr;tive matter, 200 parts of mucil.
lage or starch, Is parts of saechariae matter, and about
40 parts Of gluten or alhumen. go q
But I promised to give my nso4*s eperand; of cult
vating the potato / will not presume to Gay that my
way il the 6ese, bat that i is better than sonse l do
candidly believe. Others are At liberty to follow my
plan, or reject it - they choose. Nor would l have
any one believe my method to be thecorrsct one, merely
upon my ipss d;xa. l want every man to satisfy him
self by making experiments. In the frst place, I do
not plant - early as some do, ~ I think - q general
thing, potatoes planted about the FIRST Of June do better
than if planted before that time. Frosts hold of 60
late here in the fall that they have plenty Of time 70
mature, if not planted until the first Of June, or about
that time. If planted earlier, they come to setting in
about the dryest season Of the year; and Of course the
yield will be small. @ 19'.s1'
Having selected nay ground for planting, which is in
a. elevated a position as possible, in order to get the
benefit Of the cool breezes, (the potato loves = cool
breese,) and 6xed upon the time for planting, I proceed
to putting the land i in order, preparing the seed, &c.
Tho land being plosed, is then narrowed until it il
smooth and finely pulverized. The seed having been
prepared a few days previous, is now ready to Be com.
mitted to the earth. What l mean By being prepared
is this, every potato Of medium size land none below
should be used) and upwards should Be cut into pieces
according to the number Of eyes It has, and tie same
rule should be observed in dropping the pieces. , l ike
this better than whole - it spreads the seed more, and
the stalks or vines are not crowded whereas It whole
potatoes are used the vines will come up thickly and
will be spinding xt%sgG II tbekaaropshs aedon the
surface Of the ground in rows, about u feet apart each
way, and cover them, making large fat hills, as large a.
space will admit. This done, they require nothing
more until digging time, only to keep down the weeds.
The old system Of hoeing potatoes two or three times
during the season, has . tendency to produces great
many small potatoes, IS at every hoeing there will b.
new sets, and IS . natural result there will be many
8 small ~petatoes.' I have invariably raised good large
potatoes when I have pursued this course, but last year
having departed from it, for the sake Of testing its
truth, I was not at all surprised TO- end shsss Iahad
r.isedan inferior article Is compared With the crops II
other seasons. of. '.7'~" '-.59- 9t' II 81 eos % ss-a1
1p..y }. no attention, nor shoould any hAr1nuer,, &, TIE
moons phases, IL plsntinesor sowing aay snrop, - Lean
not discover any lphilosophyi in the changesof tte moon,
having any inausnee,on. vegetation. have been fire.
qasntly laborsd With for my peryezsepess on this point,
bot I still remain incorrigibis. II isachFs doeasiue b.
founded on philosophial principles, ! doubt not some
Of ITS learned advocates could explain it iaslsuguage
suited to the dull comprehension Of the unbelevers. If
theee should Be ono who wishes TO vindic,te his cause,
Ispeak for him q place in the columns of the LSxrsaA.
''% &-as'A $500. e.e .1 r,'o.a : p 7. CousrirnAk,fa e.
Nn1NoER, April s, 1858. s0.ya
| 81 30 9ysTa9 3s&I sG1 ~ t-n..r awe Nasi1sg nsaw retI
bThsrsyaEs very many, people an various sections aaf
the country, who believe, tkSt' tie moon In herldidsssns
q~aastsss o. phases oct differently apont the planted seed.
Il must not .be thoughtsthak our friend above meant to
~incnlcate Che ideas that the moon had 40 eject what.
esae upon, the ~sarth-beoause, there are many PIE.
noaaenan which cannot b explained unleesiws admit
tAats she has N iaauence upon The earth--bpt thss il
her different phases she cannot possibly affect, sAhs
growth Of anything, and b." holds tho old 'thsoryIIss W
do-as simply absurd. We believe, however, that tie
moon. may exert : constant and saluAorJ and eqdxbtn.
ausnce upon plans.-- = lsss -, = ~ IL So. '3 3,s~
ss an13'a gu---L@--~------s sxas4 .ac
! 70 DrIy11' : Av,LAr RArrs Some years d SHE since * /. core sns
spondent Of the Boston, C.1:yesor recommended potash
for the purpose The rats sfeablsd hin very .nueh,
having entered Through tho easaber 1oor.s They ZAP.
peised - lreas numbess,y and were very troublesonsy1 .
that 81 At justified ID resoriag' 70 extreme tdsaaures
70 elect their e~xpulsion' from Ills premises" He pound!
ID ,upl potash and srewed i around their hole, and
rubbed some under the boards and on the sides where
they came through. The next night he heard squeal-
ing among them which hsAsupposed wss from she cass.
tic nature Of the potashrthst got among their hair or on