Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-03-17
'QDgip Sta|ttsrlnal. at \
FRANKLIN COUNTYFARmERs'
special DTeetinel-Thc Potato and It's
5tf ei I%fttiii Culture. fsaa iils - 80

5sts +, CLUB.
special Dreeting--Thc Potato ana its
Stf es fsNii Culture. }sa ilas aii
The special meeting of the farmers Club
on Saturday, March 18th, was not as well
attended as slprevious meetings, on account
of the very unpleasant weather. Before
the regular business of the meeting came
up for consideration, the samples of pota-
toes, corn, SC, were examined and COM
pared and the way paved Tor discussion.
On invitation of the President Mr.. A, B.
Buttles opened the discussion. He exhib-.
tied and described fine specimens of the
Harrison.l Early Goodrich and Early Rose.
ASIAN. early potato. taking all things into
consideration, it was now; very generally
conceded that the Early Goodrich. was
without q rival.- The Harrison was equal
to theI Early Goodrich in quality and
hardness, and superior in, yield. The
past season was the. worst he, had
ever known for the potato. and yet
one half an acre-believed with the same
cultivation the crop could be doubled in a
fair season. The general popularity Of
these varieties is evinced by tne fact that
they are Eow higher In price than they
were year ago. He referred to Mr.. Knox
of Pittsburgh, who had raised 1.400 barrels
Of the Harrison, and was now selling them
at from $12to SIS per barrel, being between
fifteen and tvs nty thousand dollars for one
variety of potato. The Early Rose was q
new variety, just sent out. Mr.. B. said he
was fortunate in getting half bushel of
them last fall for $40, inasmuch as they
could not now be. bought for less than So
ties sold two potatoes to two members of
the Club at one dollar eachD y The Early
Rose was ten days earlier than the
Early Goodrich - handsome, Z. better,
and equally prolific. He said he
should plant Between forty and fifty acres
this season, principally in Harrison, Early
Goodrich and Orono-would plant on dry
ground, avoiding wet soil of any sort, and
tenacious clays. Would plow for early po-
tatoes, if possible, in the fall. Endeavors to
plow at tleastteninches deep-gets the sur
face very fine by rolling and narrowing and
oss-harrowing. Should plant in drills two
and half feet apart, and in order to have
seed go as far as possible, would cut them to
single eyes and drop about eight inches
apart In drills. He believed it very impor-
tant. for economy of ground and facility of
cultivation, to mark out the rows for drills.
Has prepared a sled style of marker with
two runners, on which he should place a
box or hopper with a feeding spout over
each runner, for distributing compost in
the rows. This plan would apply the ma
nure in the right place, and opening the
furrow and covering the seed afterwards
would thoroughly incorporate it with the
soil. Did not believe in animal manures,
unless applied the previous year. Should
use some superphosphate at the rate or 300
lbs per acre, but after considerable inves-
tigation was satisfied that the safest, best
and cheapest manure for the potato was a
compost of eight bushels ashes, eight BUSH
els lime and two, bushels of salt to the
acre. With this application the same
ground could be used for many years. He
opens the furrows about four inches and
covers with plow or horse-hoe designed for
that purpose. AS soon as the potatoes be-
gin to break the, ground, goes over them
with an inverted or short-tooth harrow
this destroys nearly all the weeds, and does
very little damage to the potates. Culti-
Yates afterwards with the cultivator or
horse hoe, as flat as possible: would hill up
the rows only just as much as was neces-
sary to cover up the weeds among the
vines. Itwas commonly thought that the
potato was root, but it performed none
OF the functions OF root and was really
an underground branch of the vine-it had
many dormant eyes, and pieces would fre-
QueDtly grow when no eye was visible !;
indeed, If all the eyes were peeled off the
inside or fieshy part of the potato would
sometimes grow
Mr.. Butt.es read some extracts from a
prize essay in the report of the Royal Ag-
he said that the experiments, 129 in num-
ber. carried on by the author of the essay.
were the most exact, comprehensive and
exhaustive of any he had ever heard Of
Intended to have made an analysis of them
tor this meeting, if time had allowed, but
would draw attention now to only two
points.
l. These experiments demonstrated con-
clusively that the yield was in proportion
to the size of the seed used, the larger the
seed the greater. the crop. The largest
yield was from whole potatoes, weighing
eight ounces each, planted in drills two
ieet apart and one foot to the row. taking
to plant an acre at the rate of 18l bushels
of seed, but the yield was at the rate of L.
AS bushels to the acre. ESaT 0E E
g. 1t is clearly shown by many expert
ments that nothing was gained by planting
them more than one foot apart in the row,
the yield from each hill being about the
same whether they, were II, 15, 1S, "a or 80
inches apart. This fact was very valuable,
as showing by our ordinary system of
planting in hills so that each hill occupied
eight or nine square feet, was a loss of use
of two-thirds OF the ground.
Mr.B. said he would hardly advise the
| course indicated in this country at this
! time, but it was well worth che attention
and study of all intelligent growers of the
| potato.
| MIR. Merton planted in hills last year, but
would not do SO this year; thought Mr..
Buttles planted too close; he would drill
| in rows two and q halt feet apart, potatoes
dropped from twelve to fifteen inches
aparC; he would plant neshannOcks in this
way, but would plant peachblows in hills !;
one season he dropped two pieces to the
| hill on one tract, and one potato on an
! other tract; saw no difference in the
i yield. In answer to a question, said he
| ]: 4 - - n. ~x,I
any earlier than when planted whole, but
hisexpe-ience seemed toindicate thatsuch
was the case. Early potatoes should al
ways be cut; the quicker the seed rots the
better it Is for the crop, and cut potatoes
rotted sooner than whole ones neshannock
potatoes he cut he-1ong way in cultivat-
ing would not use a harrow, but a log ten
feet long and about foot in diameter !;
| he would not drag out as many potatoes
this way as with harrow !; furrOw with q
| q shovel plOw, and cover with hoe. 20
| Mr.. Edwards-The way in which pota-
toes were planted depended on the kind
planted. Peach Blows should be planted
In hills three and a half feet apart one way
and two feet the other. The -Shotweil
should be planted in the same way. In
cultivating harrow both ways. Use COM
4 mon tooth harrow. and give the grou:d a
thorough narrowing just as the potatoes
are coming up. Cover with shovel plow
He would plOw deep, select the best land
and never manure. The quality of pota-
toes is always better without manure. He
had planted much on side hills, near the
bottom, and never failed to have good pota-
toes, victor dry. He preferred large pota.
/ toes for planting. Potatoes in hills grew
larger than when planted in drills. He al
ways cut his potatoes and dropped two
pieces to the hill. The best crop he eveI
raised received only thorough narrowing
and one blowing. He was in favor of leve
cultivation.
THE remarks of Mr.. Innis were publish