St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1868-04-10
farm, Garden and ssitehen.

SEED POTATOES as we'll as
theory teaches US that the most profta-
BILE potatoes to be selected for seed are
the largest, farest and brightest of the
crop. They should be large for two
reasons. FIRST an undersized potato is
always a defective one. 1t was perhaps
late in setting, or the vine was injured,
or its effectiveness was inherited, so to
speak from the parent stock. In some
way a full development was hindered.
Secondly, until the stalk has put forth
leaves and the rootlets gained size, the
young plant must draw all its nourish-
ment from the old potato. OF course,
then, the supposed economical practice of
cutting it into slips, is highly injurious TO
the coming crop. The parent potato
should be fair and bright, because these
qualities come Of full development, and
will, other things being favorable, be
transmitted to the product of the hill. A
fresh and bright skin is as certainly indi-
cative Of the vigor of root as a bright
comb and active expression is of the
cock, or a proud step and shining coat
is of the horse. BY this mistaken econ
omy in planting refuse potatoes for seed,
we doubt not but many valuable varie-
ties have deteriatcd and been abandoned
as worthless that might, under Il differ
ent system, have been even now among
the choicest products of the field. Ifthe
reader desires advice as to tie best va
rieties to cultivate, peculiarities of soil
and climate not being taken into account.
we would recommend the Early Good
rich for early, and the Harrison for COM
mon field crop. These have been faith
fully tested, and both as to yield and
quality will bear commendation.--Heth-
odiSt.
DEEP PLowING.-Concede that, for
the present, only gardens, orchards, vine
yards, nurseries, etc, are likely to be
thoroughly worked to any such depth as
two feet, how great must be the increase
of products thus secured That the yield
of bects, carrots ETC., would be increased
by more than fifty dollars worth per acre,
will hardly be doubted while an or
chard thus trenched would endure twice
as long as one stranded on hardpan that
rises to within six inches of the surface
The best practical farmer know assur-
ed me, three years ago, that he grew
twelve acres of good cabbage on an ordi-
nary subsoiled field with less than half
the fertilizers that he must have applied
hol Ia, ,,ln,,a1 ht,t ,nrboS
while a severe, protracted drought, that
had stopped the growth of his neighbor's
truck" ," had produced no effect on his.
| must approve some other occasion to
set forth my conviction that, III our pre-
4 carious climate, suhJecI to the great eN-
tremes of food and drough, deep work
inc is of the very highest Importance,
and that deepening our arabic fields Will
more conducc to the increase of our ma
tional wealth and strength than the pur-
chase of hundred Samanas and Wal
rusSias. Suffice it for the present that L
have ready answer to those who cavil
1T is very we'll to talk of deep work
ing but who does it Where How
is it to be done ~ To these questions
answer l. DR.. c. w. Grant. ,. At
Iona. 3 BY providing deep working
plows after his patterns, and improving
on them if you can.-Ho,uce Greeley.
FERMENTED MANURE. - The use of
hcaping up manures in the yard and un-
der the sheds is to give them chance to
termcnt. Whatever may be the philoso-
ply of the matter, it is pretty well estab-
lished that it pays to compoS: all ma
nurcS and fork them over once or twice
before using. The most valuable con-
>tituent Of green manures, the nitrogen,
is not Immediately available to plants.
In the compost heap this becomes ammo
MIA, which is plant food, and is diffused
through the whole mass : the vegetable
fiber is also decompo5ed and all coarse
Jumps are broken down. a part of the
efficiency of manure depends upon its
fineness. Besides it is often an advan-