Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-05-23
The Culture of Potatoes.

Among farmers there is no one crop in
which such wide difference Of practice oh.
tains as in the culture of the common potato
Market gardeners who grow for the early
market, are more uniform in their manage.
ment and obtain more steady results. One
Of the chief faults of potato culture is the use
Of too much seed, and planting the hills too
FAR apart. What we want is a medium sized
tuber: tho very large and the small ones are
alike Objectionable the latter will not sell at
all, and the former are in little demand
When we plant in large hills, we get large
proportion OF the tubers either over or under
the proper size. five plant in drills, putting
single eye at the distance Of eight or ten
inches. we have fund Of uniform sized DO.
tatocs in each Of these small hills, and thus
avoid the very large and the small ones.
For some years VIC have grown uniform
crops as to both quantity and quality, and
which have not failed to command an extra
price. Beginning with the hill system Of six
to ten eyes in hill, with hills one way four
and the other three feet apart, we have come
to drills two and half feet apart, placing
the sets eight to ten inches in the drill
Some people contend that only large potatoes
should be planted, as the potato nourishes
the young plant, but this we think an error.
for potatoes arc readily grown from sets. that
is. the plant taken from the parent and trans
planted the same as a sctt from the sweet DO.
tato, consequently it matters not how small
portion of the old potato is left with the
eye, but when single eyes are used with only
small piece Of the potato, the pieces should
DC planted the same day il possible that they
arc cut. In planting large potatoes whole,
the crop always presents small percentage,
say one fourth of large, overgrown tubers.
while the remainder of the crop are small
ones, most of them too small for table usc.-
There is difference Of opinion in regard to
the value of large or small potatoes, when
cut to single eyes and planted in drills
While it II conceded by most farmers that
the large potatoes are the best for this use.
The more general practice is to use the small
potatoes. We have used both, but have been
unable to see any marked difference, and for
the past half a dozen years have used the
small ones. We deny, for We do not know
that it IS fact, that the seed of small pota.
toes are less liable to the rot There is also
economy in using them for seed, making an
important saving when potatoes are worth
forty to fifty cents bnshel. 1t requires
about ten bushels of small potatoes to plant
one acre IN drills, or about twelve bushels Of
large ones. Careful experiments have thus
far been unable to settle the difference of
yield with either method, and it yet an open
question.
The drill over the hill system is practically
set at rest; all of the market gardeners use
the drill, as do also large proportion of the
farmers, and these both will soon adopt the
same practice. It is more convenient, easy
Of culture, and produces a more agreeable
sized potato, making large saving in seed
when either large or small potatoes are used,
for in cutting single eyes of the large potatoes
a large proportion of the body of the potato
can be reserved for family use.
Potatoes should not succeed potatoes or
any other hoed crop, what farmers call second
sod, or the second year after. A meadow or
pasture that has been broken up, presents the
best soil for this crop The land should be
plowed deep, or SUBSIDIZED, narrowed smooth,
marked off in drills two and half feet apart,
and the pieces containing single eyes placed
eight to ten inches apart in the drill. The
more vigorous growing kinds would appear
to require more room than the Mexican and
Meren hut this is not so in practice, as i
requires little crowding of these large sorts
to keep them within bounds, as We must
guard against OvergrOwn as well as small
potatoes. We therefore give them the same
space as the smaller kinds. A single eve or
vine will set from two to three potatoes. these
having abundance of room for attaining q
good fair size, while the grass feeders, such
rs Garnet Chill, which have tendency to
form large ovcrgrown tubers, are kept within
bounds, are Of medium size, and become veil
while the extra number Of plants
within given space, will amply compensate
for the swollen size of the tubers, by increas.
ing their number.
In planting, if the drills have been opened
with small shovel pillow, the covering can
be done with harrow, and should be follow.
ed with roller. The land will then be
smooth and even. and the plants will all ap-
pear at the same time. AS soon as they are
two or three inches above ground they can
be worked with a two-horse cultivator, and
should be worked at intervals of eight or ten
days until they come into bloom; the suisse
quent workings after the first can be done
with large shovel pillow; this will slightly
hin them up at each working. making small
ridge along the drill. Up to this time no hoe
is used; after they bloom the hills must not
be disturbed any more than with sharp hoe
to cut down any struggling weeds; small
shovel pillow can be passed through the rows
to keep down the weeds in the center, but
along the rides by this time the vines will
have taken such full possession that few
weeds will appear on them, and with the
centeTs of the rows clean the digging will be
much more rapid and pleasant.
1t is not always convenient to plant on Sec
ond sod. and old fields that have been cult
waited for several years, az well as garden
grounds, must be used. In this case manure
is of considerable value, but, as is well known,
manure has tendency to increase the rot.
This is the case when plowed into the soil,
and Of course. comes in direct contact with
the roots. We would, therefore, top-dress
the ground after planting, using either old
well rottcd or crude manure from the stable
the latter in preference. In all cases Of
using manure we top-dress with it. Never
plant it under.
NIGHT SOFIA writer 10 the Country
Gentleman, in reply to one who inquiries how
To prepare night soil to prevent the effluyia