Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-09-18
Importance Of the Potato Crop,

THE wide spread failure of the potato
crop this year, from the amount of rain
in the spring, the scarcity of IL during the
time when il was most needed for the
growth of the potato, together with the
ravages of insects heretofore unknown, or
known only in small quantities, should in
duce farmers to put forth even greater en-
ergies to secure the needed supply of this
most useful vegetable, rather than to cause
them to give u preference to crops that are
considered more certain of profitable re-
turns. The truth is, the cultivation of the
potato in the West, is, and has long been
neglected. Instead of farmers taking
pains to select the choicest and best seed,
as they do in the case of corn and wheat,
they are generally satisfied to takeup with
whatever is left in their cellars in the
spring, whether the condition of the tu-
bers IL good or poor, sound or dccayed.
Again, the choicest and best acres on the
farm are selected for the staple articles, as
corn and wheat are ordinarily reckoned,
| while whatever remains be 1t badly
turned sod or worn out stubblo land, is
planted to potatoes. So too, in relation to
the time of planting and the means Of cul-
ture, the preference is always given to
other crops, TO the exclusion of this most
excellent and most healthiul esculent
Who ever heard of Western farmer put
| ting off his seed sowing, to put in pota-
to cropY Was 1t ever seen that n tillor Of
the soil in the West left his hay field, or
his corn field, because the potato patch
needed cultivationS
Itis, and should be no marvel then, that
the potato, after having been consigned to
a sort of Botany Bay, and treated with
such cruel neglect for so many years,
should at length fail to produce here, as II
does in localities where more pains are
; taken in the selection of seed from which
to grow crop, and more care is taken tC
put 1t on land suitable TO its successful
production, and where It receives the de
gree of cultivation which its Importance
entities IL to. No, the wonder is that We
{ have been supplied with a tolerahlG
amount of potatoes as long rs we have,
If corn and wheat had been treated as po-
tatoes have been, they would have rebelled
long ago.
This year. however, will probably serve
as warning TO Western farmers, not to
neglect in the future, the culture of crop
which, If IL adds less dollars to their pock
cts, is, after all, when healthful article of
food is taken into the account, one of the
most remunerative crops which the farmer
can raise. In southern Illinois, the failure
of the potato crop this year is almost
universal, IL we except few planted foI
summer use. In all parts of Wisconsin
as far as we can learn, there Is a great
scarcity Of potatoes; while Iowa, which
has an abundance of almost everything
else, requires potatoes grown outside the
State to supply her large towns,
The failure of the potato crop in Ire
land is always looked upon IN the light o.
public calamity, causing rs 1t does, wide
1 70
lation, and sometimes resulting in a fam
inc, as In the year 1SiS. 1t is true that W,
are not dependent on potatoes as the Irisl
are, for the chief article of food for the la
boring classes still, with us as with them
potatoes rank among the cheapest kinds o
diet in common use Their healthfulnes
too, as we'll as their nutritive qualities
commend them to the consideration Of ev
cry one; for unlike vegetables in general
they may, with care, be kept in condition
for the table during the entire year. Thl
almost absolute necessity for this article O
food was shown during the late war, as /
had previously been shown in long Voy
ages at sea.
Let the farmer then, in making his calcu
lations for the divisions of his lands mex
year, set apart a larger quantity of spac'
for the cultivation of this vegetable thar
| iNlncilli anu StlSCl ludN NulSu 10 VI pStNSi
quality. Other things being equal, !
northern exposure is best for this crop; |
southern slope generally causes the foliage
to become shriveled, while an eastern de
clivity is subject to too sudden changes be
tween the GOODNESS of the night and thu
heat of the day.
New land is always preferable to the
culture of the potato, not only as far a
producing y large, bat an excellent crop L
concerned. Besides this, there is no croI
equal 10 potatoes 10 prepare freshly broker
land for the growth of plants that requir,
the soil 20 be in more mellow and sub
dued state. Potatoes are much less liabl
10 disease, and are freer from the attacks o
parasites when grown on new landi an,
their value rs food when grown on sucl
soils, is much greater than when produced
on soils impoverished by frequent crop
pings, OF enriched by fresh stable manure
If the farmer wishes to secure good
crop Of potatoes for home consumption, oI
for market next year, let him Immediately
prepare his land for II, by turning under
the turf about the depth Of six or eight
incheA This land win only require TO be
gone over with the cultyator next spring
u 70 be ready for planting Prairie Flrm<r