Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-05-20

for example. Two farmers, whose lands joined
planted the Mercer potato for New York mar
ket. Both plowed in yard manures- One
plowed deep, planted a mellow bottom
and covered good depth, keeping the roots
moist and at an even temperature. W hen the
rain came, it carried the fertility of the earth
with it to the roots, and even down below, at
tracing the roots downward. This man al
WAYS had sound seed to plant, sound seed to
dig. and large crops, year after year.
One thing is certain. potatoes cannot grow
in mud. Forty years ago, planted plat by
river side. fhey came up finely, but when
the potatoes were the size Of hens egg,
there came extraordinary flood, and over
flowed them for two hours. The next day
there was not a sound tuber in the plot.
Once a neighbor came to me to see if my po-
tatoes were rotting | told him they We're not.
He said his were half rotten. | said to him,
can tell YOU which hills are rotten. and which
sound, before you open them. | went and
was able to do as | said. Where the water
could drain from the hills the tubers were
sound where it could not, they were rotten.
News came to me from plain mile or two
distant, that the air was poisoned with rotten
potatoes. went to see, and found all true.
passed by one field, rather low ground, with
the subsoil near the surface. 1t was thrown
into ridges and had been well planted 4
beautiful crop Of large Mercer potatoes were
lying on the ground, with not rotten one to
be seen. My nearest ncighbor cultvates pO-
tatOes, blowing deep; planting on mellow
bottom, and covering good depth, and has had
no rotten potatoes for forty years Planted
the Sebec last year had fine, large yield not
| a rotten one. Another man, two miles off
had the same kidd rot badly. as did also the
Mercer, and several other kinds of early pc
tatoes. Planting near the surface, and light
covering causes many thousand of bushels to
rot. Lying too long in the sun and air when
first dug, or when brought out of the cellars
has bad effect on future crop by increasing
the liability to rot. The use of small one
for seed Will cause them to decrease in guam
| tity, size and quality.
New ground or that which has lain long t,
grass is most favorable to good crop of DO
tatocs. In deciding what is needed to restor,
old ground to its former fertility, consider
what has been taken from it in the wheat
| corn, flax, buckwheat, potatoes, or beahs
| Among other substances have used and seer
used for the purpose, are bone dust, if good
| crest leaves and decayed woods mould turf
hen manure castor pumice wood ashes Sc;
manure shell lime and saline matter An
other thing of much value, but little though
| of, is to be found on the margin of the sea
rivers and ponds. There for ages the fine
rich compost has floated and sett ed from barn
| yards and cultivated fields. | have seen sucl
| produce fertility equal to the best ward ma
nure. Yard manure, the great staple, is no
alone sufficient in all cases for crops. Ston,
| lime is good, but it takes six months or yea
to prepare it Fish manure will produce mon
strous crops, but without yard or other ma
nure it spoils the land. Lime, followed b,
clover, and the roots plowed in, viii brin;
land into high fertility, produce fine crops
and the best of fruit and vegetables and XII
insects. From your old friend. who this da,
completes his four score and fourth year, il
good health PHISEAs PRATT
/ Deeprirer, Conn, Jan. %, 1868.