The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1864-04-06

The subject Of food is one Of gra4e cn.
sideraticn. Not only should great S2am
ny be prscticed in the consum ption 4 = nj =
.e have on hand. but extra sttentin i. (
paid 70 increasing. 10 the utmost er1er !,
The production Of provision creps. IN, I,
si the etslest. surest. earliest aud moaf ~, |,
asetlse crops that can be made is tho Ifisi \
petato crop. go
We need not quote authorities ans ii,
value d this crop. Adam Smith, Mcf,ul.
iseh. Buckle. Loufon and many ether dis-
uaguished authors, have treated upoe ia
inpertanee. They estimated that ~
snosu, Of nutrinent contained in the eeoo
y one acre Of parotoes will supply food fer
tie support Of from two TO three times -
ssay perssns as that from an aer. Of wheat.
These estimates ere based upon the crsoc
sf Great Britain and Ireland, where thirtv
u siIt, sushels Of wheat per scr. ID tkc
usRsl crop. while the yield Of tie potato /,
sst greater than with US. They silow.
alec. OF potatoes. nine aud halt pounds
fsr man. snl sosen and half psunds fos
wsnen. as the average daily consum ptiou
fer lab0rers.
The Irish potstoo is indigcuous 10 kne.
rici. IL has taken the nsms hish from the
iset that, Tor mere than two Hundred years
u has been extensively cultivated in Ire.
land, forming. ias great measure, the food
Of The asoring classes. becsu.e Of lis chea.
per produrtion than any other food o1lali ,
shoiesome. Its culture is simple. Fer an
ssrly crop. those who have mt planted al.
ready should do 90 r once. The soil
shsuld be neither too loose nor Too stiff,
Saoty soil will not suit for IL but il thri, e.
best 70 moderately stiR clay. A thorsus
eresking up with a pillow. furrows abou,
iser inches deep. and three feet apart. ma
asre strewsd in The burrows about eau,l 10
amount TO what is usually put on tobacc,
ists, or, say two inches deep. the potstoe,
eat 10 one eye, and distribu led about eight
inches spsrt upon the manure in the for.
rev, aud then covered over, with q hoe
esmpletes preparation and planting. Tw,
.plo.'ngs. hrst with q Golfer, and afterwsrd
with scoop or mould beard. completes IN,
s.ltIsstion. Planted now, they can be us
Cd irom early in July. Early planting,
arc more CERTAIN than late. bat will not keev
e. well curing winter. For winter use
they Shsuld be planted The latter part Q
hprii. or early in May. Late crops ar,
haoie TO injury by drought late in the sun
nsf. The amount Of seed requisite i
shout ten bushels 70 the acre. The yiel,
= ifcm one hundred 10 four hundred bush
ss u the acre, according 10 soil and sea
ssns.
we call attention to this crop, a. from !
can DC derived earlier than from any othe
~ article OF subsistence. Planters shoul,
enlarge their planting Of IL. and Of all vege
so'es, this year. not only for early dolnes
NC use, but that they may be enabled 4
contribute full supplies ol them 10 our sol
Ners Ia hospitals. and a. often ss can be,
uest OF them TO those in our armies. Al
seasonal supply Of vegetables TO our me,
me held soald contribute ret little Z
~eir health. An advantage Of the pota,
~" gtsin crops is that II cannot suffer IN
lsfy " near the same extent from the rs
xr o. the enemy. twill NOT burn whe
s IL cannot be DESTROYED By turnin
noses and cattle upon ii; nor will il gu ife
ay good or bad weather, or temporary de
ys IN gathering il. The extent Of groun,
sna amount Of labor appropriated TO thi
Iop would net materially diminish tha
'ovu ~ Other provision crops. and
s'oalo The wants Of the government requie
s.sa'ef demand upon. our planters iha
e Nolore tor their grain for our armies,
So' 1u'nl potato crop would come IN vel
tood Tor our lsborera - b.ma l.. !,