Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-01-28

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FRiESD HARRIs.-If tho farmers that
seemed to feel 80 well over their potato
crops year ago in writing their accounts Of
yields SC, will new write out their accounts
for the sOins crop in 1858, how will their
account stand compared with 1851 ! am
willing to submit my account: The wealth
or WAS 50 wet all last spring, that / could
neither SOW nor plant with much prospect
Of success, and SO held back until about the
middle Of the moath, when few DAYS Of
fair weather dried my ground, so that
commenced plowing for corn; got part Of
it planted, whom drenching rain drove
me from the field. Then waited for it to
dry of again, and finished planting corn on
tho Gath Of the month; and plowed for po-
tatoss and began to plant on the 25th OF
the month, Of the South American variety,
OF called BY some the Chill potato.
We planted an acre and half Of that
variety, and half an acre Of Rocky Noun
tain, Scotch Grey, Blue Neshauoc and Mex.
leans, cultivated all alike. Part Of the soil
was yellow clay loan, pretty well manured,
broken tho year before from pasture sod
with double Michigan plow, 0 or o inches
deep, and cultivated in corn. We planted
six bushels Of potatoes TO the acre after this
manner: We cut them so rs TO leave but
one or two eyes to a piece, and dropped
tho pieces about FIVE inches apart in the
furrow made by a one horse cast plow /;
and when dropped, turned the furrow back
upon the seed so dropped, and tho plant
ing was done. We completed the planting
Of said two acres, 29th of the month; Of
course, so late that we could not expect
much ola crop.
have learned, by experience, that warm
wet weather, after potatoes are planted, is
very fatal to the seed and young plants
and that furrow along side Of the row has
a tendency to keep the seed dry and 10
growing ORDER Hence l contend that
plow is the right tool to cover potatoes with
aud in q level country the rows should be |
run from upper TO lower side of the field so |
that all surplus water can easily escape.
When the young plants were large
enough, we worked them through twice in |
a row with one horse harrow and double
shovel plow. After few weeks they were
worked twice in row with the one horse
plow and double shovel, with little hand
pulling of weeds, completed the cultivation.
The South American gave good yield for
any season. We measured off half acre,
and dug from it l3o bushels of largo, nice
potatoes, that were worth rs cents per
bushel, amounting to nearly 500, as the
product Of one-balf acre. The cost Of cu-
tivation was not over SIS, including digging,
DC, as we rolled them up with plow.---
This half acre WAS the yellow clay oam.-
The black loan did not produce so well,
but the South Americans all made good
yield. The other varieties 10 comparison
did pothing-didn't pay rent for the ground.
am satisfied that there is nothing in
the size Of tho potato for seed-whsther
large or small-whether the eve is taken
from the body Of the potato or from the
seed end, as some call it, or whether a large
piece OF the potato is cut out, in connection
with the eye, or very small piece; but it
nearly all depends upon the season and
the cultivation, to guard against excessive
wet or severe dro6th. A furrow each side
Of the row leads of all surplus water, and
n continued row, with ridge each side of
the row, in deep pulverized, productive soil,
is the best protection against drouth. And
use the Chilis or South Americans for rseed.
and plant as early as the season will admit,
and success will be almost certain.
JOSEPH MOSHER.
Mr. GnEAD, lst Mo. 9th, 1859.