Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1867-05-23
agricultural.
Potato Raising.

At mee&ng of the Farmers Club
in Pennsylvania the best method of
cul,ivating potatoes was discussed.
The following repert is given by a
correspondent of the Germantown
Telegraph:
Zone member stated that he always
planted his potatoes in the same field
with his corn the preceding fall he
carefully and deeply ploughed the
ground, and in the spring, when dry
enough, he narrowed it thoroughly
and deeply with a sharp. harrow
drawn by double team until it was
thoroughly torn up to the depth of
five inches he then furrowed it out
ready for planting.
"Another member followed pretty
much the same plan, except that in
stead Of the thorough narrowing he
carefully ploughed the ground with a
sharp plough, so set as not to tear
up the sod again, but merely pare the
loose soil off. He considered that
pOthtOCS pLdACcu III tIC oou "SlC AOIC
liable to rot than those planted in
mellow ground full of decayed and
decaying soil, at least such was his
experience.
"a third member preferred the
ground undisturbed until spring, when
he would plow it thoroughly, follow
ing the plough with steel subsoil
plough, stirring the whole soil to the
depth of not less than eighteen inch
es, and after thorough narrowing,
mark out and plant as before.
Another member preferred if pos
sibIe TO plough early in the fall and
seed down with rye, and not plough
again until spring, when he would
allow the rye to get as large a growth
as possible before ploughing it down
This of course brought out the mem
Der who,as stated above, was opposed
to decaying vegetable matter in the
soil which was to produce the potato
crop This produced a lively discus
sion, which seemed to end in a major
ity condemning the presence of vege-
table matter in decaying state as
being likely to induce rot.
"These four plans were all that
were advocated in favor Of sod for
the potato crop, and as each one was
offered it produced lively attack
from the stubble side of the question
and lively defence from the four
'sods.'
"a majority of members were in
favor Of planting potatoes in the corn
field Of the previous year for the fol-
lowing reasons, viz: that the ground
can be more thoroughly prepared :;
that they come into the rotation bet
ter for the manure which may be APP
piled to them and remain unexpended
IN the soil, and may benefit the ensu-
ing wheat crop that the crop can
be more easily kept clean and the
ground be more mellow to work with
the hoe.harrow
"Some were in favor of fall plough
ing and sub-soiliAg and some were
Iot; some ploughed in the fall and
subsoiled in the spring, and others
preferred both operations in the
spring, and some only ploughed once
with the common plough
Gone of our most extensive potato
growers gave his plan as follows ::
First to thoroughly plough the ground
in the fall deeply and vel, then back
furrow or ridge it up all over the field
by throwing burrows against each
other as close as possible, without
filling up or throwing the loose soil
over the crest into the next furrow.
In this condition he allowed it to re-
main waiting till near planting time,
when he could level down the ridges,
plough and subsoiI, mark out and
plant"