The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1868-05-02
'E,s,e Culture OF Irish POtntOCs.

In response to a correspondents in
ouiries about our experience in Irish po-
culture, we will briefly detail the
practice we have found most successful
in this climate.
The soil best adapted to this crop is
a fresh, friabIe loan, containing a large
per cent. of vegetable mold, silica (sand)
and the phosphates, and above all, pot
ash and lime. Scarcely any ~otherculti-
waited crop-exceptingt obacco-requires
so much potash in the soil as the Irish
potato, and hence it is that ashes
strong, unleached, hardwood ashes ex-
ert such a beneficial effect upon the
health and product of the plant. Origi-
naily good land, still further enriched
by "cow %penning' or the liberal addl-
ton Of the proper composts, will, under
judicious culture, produce crops of equal
quality and but little inferior in amount
to the most favored regions ofthe North.
In our own experiments we have sue
ceeded satisfactorily with q moderate
application of superphosphate of lime,
plaster and wood ashes, thoroughly in
te~rmingled with the soil at the time Of
planting. A compost that we liked bet
ter, however, was made of a heavy layer
(say six inches in thickness of swamp
muck, lime, ashes, ground bones and old
brine from the beef, pork Or fish barrel.
A bed of this in alternate strata. chop
ped down and pulverized after remain
ing as made for two or three months,
will be found the best as we'll as the
cheapest manure for the potatoe-either
sweet or Irish-and should be applied
to the drill with the covering earth at
planting. Rich stimulating, heterogeneous
mapures are not good for potatoes, as
they force too great a growth at top
for this crop at least, the mineral ma
nure theory is the safest. The aspect
and location are of minor importance,
provided the subsoil is sufficiently per-
vious to prevent water remaining too
long about the roots Of the plants. We
have raised equally good crops on land
slightly rolling, and billy land, and with
inclination to all points Of the compass.
The ground should be thoroughly pre-
pared by repeated and deep broadcast
plowings and borrowings; then throw
into ridges the same as tor cotton the
width Of rows about three feet. I'hess
ridges should be opened with a bull
tongue Or shovel pillow, and the seed
dropped therein at about eight inches
apart. If the planting is done early,
whole potatoes should be used, so that if
the tops are killed by frost, there will
be strength enough left in the original
seed to send up u new growth. If SO
late that there is no danger of frost,
plant cut potatoes by all means-the
pieces containing not more than two
eyes each. Plant two of these pieces
together, and cover with a light turroW
from each side. As soon as the tops
appear above the ground, throw close
and deep burrows to them, breaking out
the middles entirely, No after Milling
or cultivation is necessary except to
keep the grass and weeds down. Late
and repeated killing up we have found
to be a decided injury.
Of varieties We have tried a great
many, including the newer Seeding of
Goodrich and others, but esteem the
Early Goodrich and Harrison as the
best of all. The Peach Blow, iofN. j.
and Early Sebec are worthless, on &C
CONT of rotting. The Cuzco, Garnet
Chilli, Gleason and Hefron are excel
lent varieties and should be tested by
all. We will give a description of all
the new varieties in an early No.
Southern CTangipahoa, Lay Ruralist.
How TO RAISE ON1oNs.-The agri-
cultural department of the Georgian is a
feature which our readers in this section
are very happy to- recognize. And as
you call upon the farmers for contribu-
lions, l have determined to give you my
experience in the cultivation of. onions,
a vegetable which cannot be too highly
appreciated. The onion is, as you are
we'll aware, propagatcd from the seed,
and cultivated to its highest development
from the "set", and from the '''button.'
When I wish to sow the seed, the ground
is thoroughly prepared in the month of
January. i'll this climate, by being deep
ly spaded, well MANFRED, and finally
pulverized. About the 18th of Februa-
ry, drills are opened about four inches
deep, and filled with well pulverized ma
nure from the "henhouse," the very best,
because the strongest n to be had.
This drill is covered level with the gen.
eral surface, and a very light drill, not
more than one-half deep, is opened on it,
in which the seed are lightly sown. A
bout April they are thinned out to a
4'stand," which should not leave the ''set'
more than eight inches apart. The plants
thinEed out should be transplanted at the
same distance apart, and not buried deep
err than they grow in the drill. My ex-
perience, however, is in using the ''but-
ton," which is planted in November, in
drills prepared as above mentioned and
very shallow. The roots of the onion do
not run down: they are surface roots, and
require the manure to be near the surface
to benefit them. The great secret in the
cultivation of onions is to keep them from
b I the ground. Fill your
drill with mundfe, He1the hsnshouse,
and just cover the button q -
more. Keep the grass down, and in me
fall, before the tops begin to die, move
the soil from the onion and just leave the
onion he'd in the ground by its roots, its
superior, or upper surface entirely expos
ed to the action of the sun and atmos.