Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-05-07

wallis, N. s., last Fall, and found tho prac-
tce was to cut seed as We do on Long Is
land, and plant closer than VIC do. They
mark tho ground two feet apart. Here wo
mark off two by three feet, one piece in
hill. The Morsors have short vines. The
Dykemans have long vines. A potato
called PCach-blow has long vino, and
should be planted wide apart; they have
escaped the rot. The main variety on
Long Island is the Mercer; they rotted bad
" last vear. The Dykeman, Rock-whitc,
and Algor potatoes arc generally used.--
The Dykeman is an early variety. l never
saw an yellow potato so good as white.
Horace Greoley-Some Of the best far
mers always plant the outside of tho pota-
to, to avoid rot, MS the old tuber in rotting,
diffuses the disease to the new potatoes
This is practiced by Major Dickinson, a
thinking farmer of Steuben county.
DR.. Wellington once tried similar
experiment in planting potatoes, on a some-
what extended scale, which proved that we
save pretty large share of the tuber for
food. | would cut off the seed end and di-
vide the other end in two parts.
William Lawton-I have not before
thought of it, but now recollcct that in all
the hills where the potatoes rotted most, |
found the old tuber in very offensive con-
dition.
Mr.. Fuller-It seems that we do not need
many sprouts in hill, and we do not get
many, however many eyes we plant. live
plant whole tubers, one vigorous stalk grows,
and We get tho same result from single
eye. | would never plant cut potatoes
without first rolling the seed in lime, or
something to dry up the juice.
Horace Greely--I still believe that wa
ter in the hills is one main causes Of the rot.
If we plant in drained land, or upon ridges
where the water will not stand, the crop
will rot less than in wet ground. The the
ory is that warm rains and scalding sun,
produce the rot moro than any one cause;
and this seems to be tho opinion of the
Ohio Farmer, although he says every tho
ory and every preventive Of tho disease if
successful one year fails the next. Yet
am full of faith that judicious cultivation
will do much toward giving US this crop free
from the malady that has so long made po-
tatoe raising Improbable.
The best method of renopdting a0orn om
iSoas.-The President now called up this
question, and suggested that it was present
ed by
Solon Robinson. He said did not pre-
sent it because had any theory to advance,
but because had received the following let
ter from Charles S. Weld, farmer of Pc
nobscot County, Maine. He writes as fol-
lows:
see in report Of the Farmers Club a
statement by you that clover seed is the
cheapest manure. Now, l have twenty
acres of light loan and sandy soil, which |
think of manuring, either with clover seed,
or "India wheat" or buckwheat. Clover
seed is worth here: Northern, a cents
Southern IL cents per lb.; India and buck
wheat 8 cents per bushel. lsnot tho wheat
the cheapest if half bushel will seed an
acrel And will not the buckwheat mako
the quickest and rankest growth for the pur-
pose of manure? Say this before the Club,
and lot us know the result; for We are much
interested in tho Institute reports away
down here, and they arc the first article
sought after in the Tribune.
Mr.. Robinson continued-Now do not
wish to be understood as recommending
clover seed to be used as a manure, though
havo no doubt it would be q good fertili-
zer, and so would wheat or corn. And |
speak advisedly when | say that wheat
bran is worth as much per tun as Peruvian
guano as fertilizer, of almost any crop
But said, and say again, that cloverseed is
a cheap manure if sown with all small grain,
and suffered to grow and ripen and be
plowed under. And do think that the
best method Of renovating worn-out soils,
such as the writer of that letter
describes is to apply something that will en-
able the soil to start crop of clover, and
let that grow,to its full size and turn it all
under. Certainly, for farmers that have no
stable manure to spare from cultivated folds !
to apply to worn out ones, clover is the
most economical fertilizer that can be given.
Some outlying folds, too, arc too far away
from the barn yard, and cannot be ma
nured from that without too much expense.
Such should be treated with clover and not
pastueed nor moved, for nothing is gained
in a manurial point of view by passing food
through stock.
William Lawton--I agree fully with Mr..
Robinson, that clover crop is the most
economical manure, for it draws two-thirds
of its substance of the air. A farmer does
not increase his manure by feeding the crop
to his cattle. Barn-yard manure is only
ashes of crops consumed. If the crops had
turned under the manurial effects certainly
would baye been equally great. The mate
rial cannot be increased by feeding. There
is no doubt but that clover is a very cheap
manure.
Mr.. Fullcr-I hope clover and buckwheat
will not be classed together, for have new
er seen any benefit from turning in green
buckwheat, but have seen positive injury.
John G. Bergen plowed under crop
of buckwheat twenty years ago as an cx-
pertinent but have never repeated it.
The first satisfied me. A neighhor plowed
in crop Of turnps and found great benefit
from t. | know that clover is always ben
eficial to land, whether plowcd under or not.
Horace Greeey--To plow under green
crop will benefit the soil, but is that the
cheapest manurel If bran is as good as
guano for land, we should use it; but then
the question is, would it not be better to
feed the bran to cattle IL may bc profita-