Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1861-12-14
farmers Department,
From the "Germantown Telegraph
THE POTATO.
It's ORIGIN. HISTORY AND cuLr1yArIy


was found growing wild in Virginia at the
| time Of its frst ettlemebt, and was introduced
into Europe in the year l545, by Sir John
| Hawkins.
! Gerarde, an old English botsuist, mentions
| in bis Herbal, published in the year 1897, the
/ fact of having planted 10 his garden potato
which did as well there as in its native soil.
Queen Ann, wife Of james ]. in a manu-
script account of family expenses, mentions
the purchase of "few pounds of potatoes, at
ttUo ShiiiingS a pound"
10 1868, the Royal Society recommended
their cultivation as a means Of preventing
famine.
Previous to the year 1854, they we're only
planted in the gardens of the nobility during
this year u small portion was planted 10 an
open field in Lancashire.
The potato will not thrive within the tro.
pics, except at an elevation OF from three to
| four thousand feet above the level of the sea
their natural climate is the temperate zone.
SO much for its origin and history now for
its cultivation
The soil best suited to potatoes ia a deep
loan, bat q large crop has been taken from
light ssud we'll mapured. 1t is of great i'm.
portance that the soil should be deep and
loose.
A good plan is to select patch from the
it freezes, and let ii lay ali winter. If you
wish early potatoes the next summer plant,
10y turning a furrow on to them, two or three
rows where yol plow in the fall by this plan
the potatoes will do TO dig for table use some
two aud q half to three weeks earlier than the
others planted at the usual time. The only
disadvantage is that they must be placed near
er together, for they are more liable to miss
than when planted in the spring.
The next spring give the patch good coat
of manure. spread all over the surface, as is
usually done for wheat. As soon as the ground
will admit oft, commence planting by putting
the potatoes 10 every third furrow. Some are
very particular to lay the potatoes set with the
cut side down. From actual experiments,
both by myself aud others, | am convinced
that there is no use in this my plan is to drop
them from q basket or bucket. if the ground
is in proper order the set will remain where it
is dropped Care should be taken 10 drop the
sets on the side of the furrow peXt the plow-
ed ground. md not more than fifteen nor less
than ten inches apart. After the sets are all
10 the ground, the patch should be well hsr-
rowed. AS soon Us the most forward shoots
begin to show, it sbonld be again narrowed
we'll.
After this nse nothing but the hoe harrow.
AS the ground was made in good order, there
is not much trouble with weeds. They should
be hoe. narrowed four or five times before they
come out 10 flower after this they should not
be disturbed, except to pull up any weeds
which may show themselves in the rows, and
that only to prevent them from going to seed.
Some prefer planting on the sod very
good crop may be obtained in this way, and
potatoes thus planted are less liable to be ln-
jured by cold weather, snd some think sre less
liable to rot. If planted in this manner, pre-
fer to spread the manure on the sod, aOd put
the potatoes in every third turrow. When
this plan is adopted, more oe.harrowing aud
wedding will be required. / am opposed to
hlline or piowng potatoes plant them deep,
and there is no necessity.
Some think that by ridging they place more
Of the stalk under ground, and thereby iucrese
the yield. ] have tried both plans in the same
patch, and prefer the level system.
i prefer good.siZed potatoes for planting.
FROM experiments and observations, have
come to the following conclusions That
large potatoes produce larger potatoes, in
larger qanlites and of much better quality /;
that the degeneracy often observed in potatoes
results from using small seed that when po-
tatoes Of O medium size are used it is better TO
plant them whole and where large ones are
used, to cut them in half only.
] arrived at this conclusion both by expert
ment and by the following reasopiug:
The set, when it 6rst sprouts, obtains its
nourishment from the body OF the cnttlng un-
til this is oil exhausted: but as soon as It
sprouts it also throws out roots into tue SOIL.
Until the starch and sugar iI the set is all ex-
hausted, these roots do little but increase ID
size. As soon as the substance of the orig-
nal set is exhausted, the plant must obtain
uourishment from the soil by means Of its
roots.
Now, by planting large sets, we give to each
sprout larger proportion Of DOurishnent, and
this enables the plant to extend its roots be-
fore they are called upon for actual service.
! know that potatoes can be raised from
narings. This may do in ground which is
strong and in good condition, but 10 poor AID
hard ground it will not do.
have found by experiment that more po.
tatoes can be raised Gron the same amount Of
seed by cutting the potatoes in two instead Of
! four pieces and this, too Id rows side by side,
one, row having the seed cut 10 two, and the
next 10 four, aud so on throughout that is,
! where they are placed the same distance apart
| in the row-about one foot. Where those ct
in two were planted Que foot apart, and those
cut 10 four eight inches, the former produced
the best and largest amount Of potatoes.
When potatoes are planted in corn-stslk
| ground, they should be planted early, both to
avoid danger from rot, and to be out Of the
way of the ensuing wheat crop.
have found that on the same land three
hundred weight of gusno will produce better
crop than good coat of barnyard manure
Also that three hundred weight OF super phos.
phate mixed with five bushels Of plaster, will
produce about the same quantity Of much bet
Ter potatoes than good coat Of manure
These remarks apply TO one acre. The ma
nure (barnyard) was spread all over the ground
and the Others scattered in the furrow on top
OF the sets. But the succeeding crops of grass
and wheat, without any additional manure,
we're much better where the barnyard manure
was applied than where the Others were used
That part to which guano was applied comes
/ next.
1t will materially increase the crop to roll
the sets in plaster just after cutting and allow
ing them to lay spread out and occasionally
dust them with plaster for two or three days
previous 10 planting.
always dig as soon as the tops die ; if this
is convenient, NOW the the tops as soon ss
1 nd liz,