Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-02-26

Potato Culture---No. l.

Much has been said and written about
the relative value of large and small pota-
toes for seed, some being in favor Of large
and others of small seed And numerous
experiments have been made, with both,
and with various success. But recent ex-
periments, made in the State of New York
in 1851, are such as to deserve passing
notice.
Thus, one experimenter (John We
thcrly) cut one Rochester Red potato, hav-
ing 24 eyes, into as many pieces, and plan
ted the same into % hills, which yielded
him two and half bushels Of fine potatoes.
Another Is. II. AbelD cut California
potato, having 90 eyes, into 20 pieces, and
planted the same in 20 hills, which yield
ther (Jos II. HOwland) realized . bushels
and u quarts of potatoes from one Mexi-
can potato having 60 eyes, and cut into as
many cuttings and planted in 80 hills.
Another L. W. Briggs gathered "a
bushels of Mexican potatoes from one
Mexican potato cut into as many cuttings
as it had eyes, and some of which cuttings
were afterwards divided again 30 as to
leave only germ of the eye Oh each
piece, and also leave some of the cuttings
not larger than grain of corn-the entire
number of cuttings from this single potato
having amounted TO So. And the same
experimenter afterwards cut three of the
same kind of potatoes into 81, POS and
207 pieces, respectively, cutting many OF
the eyes into from / to divisions-and
all these cuttings, though as small in size
as a grain of wheat, produced from one
to four good sized potatoes each ! While
another experimenter, (whose name Is not
ciyen us) is said to have obtained more
than three bushels of potatoes from the
planting of one black Mercer potato cut
up into cuttings with eyes as aforesaid
Now these experiments, which were
made with care, and were described al
length in the Chronicle some time ago, have
settled two points most conclusiyely, TO
wit &: 1s., That potato cuttings, aud (by
parity of reasoniug) small potatoes are
Just as good for seed as large whole pota-
toes and, 2nd, That when we plant from
10 to 90 bushels of potatoes the acre, ms
is usually done, we plant titr more seed
than is necessary.
Ny own experiments for the last three
Or four years, have fully satisfied me that
small potatoes (proyiied they are sound
and fully ripe--a condition essential to
their success, but often overlooked and ne
glcctcd) are just as good for seed as large
POTATOES, if not even better. And those
who have failed in growing large and fine
potatoes from small ones, must attribute
their want of success either to their having
planted unsound and unripe seed, or to
their potatoes having become detert0rated
by being grown too long upon the same
ground. Ifyou have no small potatoes,
therefore, you should cut your large ones
into two, four, six, or more pieces, accord
ding to their size. One good eye to each
cutting, is sufficient, and its feshy part
need not be larger than common sized
sholled-hickory nut. For experience has
shown that large and fine potatoes can be
grown from even 1.dto par'ngs, that con-
tain sound eyes or buds. But, as cut po-
tatoes, planted Immediately after being
cut are apt to imbibe too much moisture,
especially in rainy seasons, and SO rot or
become greatly weakened, it is advisable
to cut your potatoes some two or three
days or a week before planting, as the cut
surfaces will in that time by reason of
their exposure to the air, gradually dry
ur and harden into > dry 'rust, anil 50 re