The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-03-24
PAYABLE IN ADVANCE
RAISING POTATOES UNDER STRAW


think it is Mt least fifty years since I
first saw this plan suggestcl--in an alma
mac perhaps and that, in the average, it has
been repeated as often as orcc 4. year since.
Upon it remark
!. The general suggestion is wise. Straw
keeps the soil both cool and moist, two
most important conditions in the culture cf
potatocs in dry summer. Uniformity of
moisture and te,':' :'reraturc is important I'M
The growth of amy vegetable, but especially
of one that is tropical, rs is the potato,
though coming from the r,"'l,itaf:s there,
and hence not requiring mucl, heat.
9. Tho plan, however. us it is usually
proposed, is Of little practical value Thus,
writer i'll your paper of Jan. 18th, laid
his seed on the unLrolicn sod and covered
them eight or nine inches thick with straw.
He got from hayu Il buShcl Of seed, a ,chole
bushcI of potatocs-ycs, a ,rho1e bushcl,
and he thought lie did well! For the honor
and rccompensc Of the farmer hope there
is not one within :: hundred miles Of this
experilncntcr who will endorse this ludy-
mcnt. So far from approving Of this mode,
| would plough the ground deeply and
well, and furrow deeply also Then drop
the seed and lay the straw on Tie top Of it,
using more or less as you have much or
little. Last Of all, cover the straw with
light covering Of earth. This mode will
make the straw spread fom ten to fifteen
times as well as by the other mode. This
is the precise mode practccd in the States
of Georgia and Mississippi, where potatoes
arc deeply planted and deeply mulched in
November, December, or January, accor-
ding to the distance south In this way
alone can they secure GOODNESS ard mois-
ture sufficient for the common potato, their
dry, hot soils being much more natural to
the sweet potatoes. Thus cultivated, tho
crop is dug in March, April, May, &c.
Where straw is laid on the top Of the hard
ground the potato will not rea,liry draw
a sufficiency OF nutrment from it, nor will
the straw retain its moisture half so well as
when covered, nor yield as much food, since
zone straw under grcurii is worth two
above"
3. This plan does not include straw alone,
but any loose mulcly substances, such as
weeds, cornstalks, tanbark Gf LINED, saw
dust, &c. Indeed, the superiority Of well
drained swamp muck soils, when old enough
to have become sweet, and green swards
for the potato crop, is explained OH the
same principle. Both are retentive of mois-
ture and poor conductors Of heat, and thus
serve to maintain uniformity of condi-
toin about the hills of the potatoes. AT
tile same time, by the. gradual decay Of the
muck and the sward the plant is fed in 4
more even manner than when the soil is
fortified by fresh manure. In all cases tho
loose texture of these materials is favorable
to the ready formation Of the tubcrs under
and in them:
4. The plan when confined strictly to
straw, even including weeds, sawdust, and
tanbark, is of very limited availability !;
for whence, it may be asked, are these MA
terials to be obtained in quantity one
tenth adequate to the requisition Of potato
culture in our country? The ordinary pro
duction Of straw on farm would be nb
how sufficient to answer the rcquis,ion Of
the potato crop, if always cultivated in
this way; and in any case it would be
used at the expense of robbing the farm
stock of nccdful bedding. The loss of this
straw from the stable and barnyarl, would,
moreover, lessen the quantity and quality
Of the manure very far beyond its benefit
to the potato crop. Let the farmer ordina
rily devote his straw, and other similar
waste materials, to .he purposes Of slis barn
yard, while he avails himself Of reclaim d
swamp grounds, brt especially Of green
sward deeply plowed, for the culture Of | is
potato crop. 1t will certainly sometimes
happen that the beauty and even the meas
ure Of his potato crop may suffer from
worms in grecnsward, especially when oil
mcadows and pastures are broken up. But
this occasional drawback will not nullify
tho general economy Of the plan.
C.E. GOODRICH.
Utica, Jan. %, 1850.