The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-06-05
Potato Growing.

Year by year the potato has ad-
vanced in importance as an agrlcul-
tural production, until it Low ranks
with the foremost of our farm crops.
{ ftaisa a noticeable fact that its prices, an
various parts of the country, are near
.iy eaual, and the grower is not COM
PEELED to seek, nor dependent on dis
tant markets for profitable returns.
The large. cities of course consume
immense quantities, so, too, do the
where. and as no surplus can be car
ried over from one year to another,
the local as well rs shipping demand
will always be good and generally
steady. In all localities that are well
adapted to potato growing, farmers
will do we'll to pay considerable at
tention to this branch of their bnsi-
ness. At present prices, the crop IS
enormously profitable, with a fair
yield. We have observed, too, that
| farmers who had good advantages in
the points of location and soil. have
made themselves rich by steadily
pursuing potato growing for short
term of years. 1t is true they met
with occasional failures-sometimes
from rot, or drouth, or low prices
but these were compensated for by
years of unusual success. La regard
| to prices, they are much less valuable
latterly than formerly, and there
seems. now to be little danger of
meeting serious reyerses IN that dlrec-
/ ton.
Owing to the nature of the crop,
which is bulky and requires much labor
to handle, close proximity to market,
or to shipping point, is very essential
to growing it on large scale. Five
miles, even, will be found a long and
weary distance to haul large crop oil
potatoes, and where the location is SC
near the market that it is only the
work of two or three days to haul the
crop, the advantage of prices which
may often be taken will add largely tC
the profits. As for soil, loans are the
best, and stiff clay least adapted to the
potato.
The cultivation of potatoes, with
the exception OK harvesting, may bt
carried on with as little expense al
that of corn, and perhaps with ever
less cost. They may be planted rap
idly by machinery, and by judlcloui
and timely use of the harrow anc
cultivator, hand hoeing is rendered
unnecessary. The young potato plan
is much tougher than that of corn
and will bear to be entirely covered
with earth after il breaks the crust
this gives a chance of completed.
cleaning the soil by machine labor
alone. Some growers recommend ia
culture. but this necessltates veTI
I deep soil, as the seed must be planted
in a furrow, so as to allow of a consld
cradle depth of earth being drawn
| over the tubers as they grow: this Ii
necessary to protect them from tn
fun. Moderate killing is undoubtedl
: the best and most practical method Q
culture to suit the majority of fields
and has the advantage of leaving tn
surface In the best position for dig
ging.
The great improvement yet to b
generally introduced TO cheaper potat
growing, is suita BILE machinery TO
: harvesting. When the farmer ca
4 take his crop from the ground an
put it in the basket by horse pOwe
at IS rapid rate, comparatively, a
he can harvest wheat. he viii hav
> overcome the main obstacles to tn
i extensive growing of this impOrtaI
; article of food. Inventors see THU
= and are thickly in the field eagerl
contending for the prize. is not a
easy one to win, yet we look with fat
"A for the time when potato harvester
will be as perfect and as common
reapers. 3.5 Haa -
The potato crop is good one
precede Spring. grain, especially ban
ley. The latter is an excellent or
to seed down to clover and gra:
with, and clover sod, of year
growth. is good preparation for pot;
toes. But this would be too mario
and short a system of rotation: s
we should prefer to follow the Glove
with wheat. and the wheat with Glove
again. Potatoes are an admiral
crop to introduce in a system of r.
tation, and they should come betwee
two crops of grain, or grass and graf