Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-02-05
Cultivation of the Potato.

The rot having gradually and yet so large
ly dissa peared in the cultivation of this indis-
pensable esculent, it becomes now one of the
most important of agricultural productions
We hence give the following from the Coun-
try Gentleman, which treats of several vari-
cites of the potato, as the Jackson, Orono
White, &C.
As the prominence given IN the report OF
the Commissioner of Agriculture to the Orono
potato must tend to draw the attention of a
large number of agriculturists to this variety
it may be worth while to enter somewhat into
detail relative to It's character, &c, and to
mark distinctly the difference between it and
the jackson White, with which it is often
confounded.
In this vicinity, where most Of the early
potatoes sold in Boston market are grown,
the jackson White has been cultivated for
many years. This is a whte-feshed, white
skinned potato, with eyes quite deeply sunk.
In size it is below the average of potatoes in
general, but of an average size when compar-
ed with early sorts. In form it is roundish,
the two diameters being to each other about
equal. In quality, it is, on most soils and
in most seasons, most excellent, being very
dry, fine grained, and of excellent flavor. In
earllness, 1T ranks about equal to the Early
GOodrich-some shink little earlier. In
yield, it is far inferior to Early Goodrich and
Earl Sebec, and the form being nearly round
there is a larger proportion of waste potatoes
than among the varieties that are more OBJ
long, as small oblong potato of marketable
size might not be marketable were the same
cubical contents in the form of a sphere.
The small size and bad cropping of the
jackson White had much influence in induc-
ing farmers to adopt another variety, which
in the deep setting of the eye, the color of
skin and flesh, and in quality, bore close
resemblance to the jackson White, while it
averaged of nearly double the size, and was
a much heavier cropper. This potato has
been grown by them under the name of the
Late jackson or Late jackson White, so
called, no doubt, because of its close resem-
blance in the above mentioned characteristics
to the jackson White, which is also sometimes
called Early Jackson to distinguish it from
the larger variety that natures somewhat
later. Now this s. Late jackson has be-
come of late years to be known more and
more as the :. Orono.'' and IS one and the
thing. L affirm this positively, as they
are from year to year bought and planted
under either name by our farmers, and not
one ever yet found any difference between
them. In making this statement | would not
be understood to countenance the idea that
50 OrOno y is not the correct name as al
ready stated, the Late jackson was, no doubt
given from the degree of resemblance to the
other sort by parties who were ignorant of
the origin of the larger kind The : Late
jackson " or Orono in form differs from the
- Early jackson - or Jackson White, in be-
ing more oblong. having its dianeters about
as one TO two, while the eyes are rather
more deeply set. When these two varieties
have been cultivated in locality for many
years, the seed stock is oftentimes somewhat
mixed the differences | have noted, | mean,
Of course. to refer to pure specimens of each.
Both OF these kinds are more or less sub
ject TO the rot " which our farmers try to
escape by extreme early planting, and, in
measure, succeed. The difference of week
in the'planting will oftentimes be the making
or losing of a crop
The past extremely wet season has been
very disastrous to the crop of either of these
in most localities, the yield of
sound ones being, in many instances, but
little more than the seed planted. From
about an acre of jackson White, | had a
quarter of a crop of sound potatoes. though
the Early Goodrich and Harrison, planted at
the same time and grown under similar cir
yielded nobly, with scarcely a
trace of rot. | tried this season quite Il
number of new early sorts, obtained from
different parts Of the United States three
or four proved earlier than the Early Good
rich, but all of them rotted, more or less,
with the exception Of that one immaculate
variety Mass.