The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-04-02
yhe ae'uandot gioneer.
THURSDAY, ....s =. .sAPRILa2
Potatoes.

Potatoes.
Il we republish the following va
rious opinions, as to the manner o1
-cultivating potatoes and also as to
the merits of each quality, from the
farmers Chronicle.
! We trust our farmers will read
the article entire and feel sure they
will find it both instructive and use
full especially at this time:
Mr.. A. B. Buttles opened the dis
cussion. He exhibited and de.
scribed fine specimens of the Har-
rison, Early Goodrich and Early
Rose. AS an early potato, taking
all things into consideration, it was
now very generally conceded that
the Early Goodrich was without 6
rival. The Harrison was equal tC
the Early Goodrich in quality and
hardness, and superior in yield
The past season was the worst he
had ever known for the potato, and
yet he had got 1041 bushels ol
Harrison on one-half all acre-be
lieved with the same cultivation the
crop could be doubled in fair sea
son. The general z popularity ol
these varieties is evidenced by the
fact that they are now higher in
price than they were a year ago
He referred to Mr.. Knox of Pitts
burg, who had raised 400 barrels
of the Harrison, and was now sell
ing them at from $12 to SIS per
barrel, being between fifteen and
twenty thousand dollars for one va
riety of potato. The Early Rose
was a new variety, just sent out.
MIR. B. said he was fortunate in get
ting half a bushel of them last fall
for $40, inasmuch as they could
not now be bought for less than So
per pound. Gas Especial favor Mr..
Buttles sold two potatoes to two
members of the Club at one dollar
each :! The Early Rose was ten
days earlier than the Early Good
rich-handsome, better, and equally
prolific. He said he should plant
between forty and fifty acres this
season, principally in Harrison,
Early Goodrich and Orono-would
plant on dry ground, avoiding wet
soil of any sort, and tenacious clays
Would plow for early potatoes, il
possible, in the fall. Endeavors to
plow at least ten inches deep-gets
the surface very fine by rolling aud
narrowing and eross-harrowing
Should plant in drills two and hall
feet apart, and in order to have
seed go as far as possible, would
cut them to single eyes and drop
about eight inches apart in drills. He
believed it very important, fo1
economy of ground and facility OF
cultivation, to mark out the rows
for drills. Has prepared a sled
style Of marker with two runners.
on which he should place box or
hopper with feeding spout over
each runner, for distributing com
post in the rows. This plan would
apply the manure in the right place,
and opening the furrow and cover
ing the seed afterwards would thor
oughly incorporate it with the soil.
Did not believe in animal manures,
unless applied the previous year.
Should use some superphosphate at
the rate of 800 lbs per acre, but
after considerable investigation was
satisfied that the safest, best and
cheapest manure for the potato was
a compost of eight bushels ashes,
eight bushels lime and two bushels
Of salt to the acre. With this same
application the ground could be
used for many years. He opens
the furrows about four inches and
covers with plow or horse hoe de
signed for that purpose. AS soon
as the potatoes begin to break the
ground, goes over them with an in
verted or short tooth harow-this
destroys nearly all the weeds among
the vines. 1t was commonly thought
that the potato was a root, but it
performed none Of the functions of
root, and was really an under
ground branch of the vine-it had
many dormant eyes, and pieces
would frequently grow, when no
eve was visible, indeed if all the
eyes were pealed off the inside or
feshy part Of the potato, would
sometimes grow.
Mr.. Buttles read some extracts
from a prize essay in the report OF
the Royal Agricultural Society OF
England, for last year. He said
that the experiments, 129 in num-
Der, carried on by the author of the
essay, we've the most exact, compre-
hensive and exhaustive of any he
had ever heard of. Intended to
have made an analysis Of them fol
this meeting, if time had allowed
but would draw attention now to
only two points.
l. These experiments demon
strated conclusively that the yiel6
was in proportion to the size of the
seed used, the larger the seed th'
greater the crop. The largest yielt
was from whole potatoes, weighing
eight ounces each, planted in drills
two feet apart and one foot to tn
row, taking to plant an acre at tn
rate of ISL bushels Of seed, but tht
yield was at the rate Of ,41S bush
els to the acre.