Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 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 it during the
time when it 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 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 Is good or poor, sound or decayed.
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 it a badly
turned sod, or worn out stubble land, is
planted to potatoes. So too, in relation to
the time Of planting and the means of Gull
ture, the preference is always given to
other crops, to the exclusion of this most
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Who ever heard of Western farmer put
to crop? Was it ever seen that tiller of
the soil in the West left his hay field or
his corn field, because the potato patch
needed cultivation?
1t is, and should be no marvel then, that
the potato, after having been consigned to
sort of Botany Bay, and treated with
such cruel neglect for so many years,
should at length fail to produce here, as it
does in localities where more pains are
taken in the selection of seed from which
to grow crop, and more care is taken to
put it on land suitable to its successful
production, and where it receives the de-
gree of cultivation which its Importance
entities it to. No, the wonder is that we
have been supplied with a tolerable
amount of potatoes as long as we have.
If corn and wheat had been treated as po-
tatoes have been, they would have rebelled
long ago. LssI
This year, however, will probably serve
as warming to Western farmers, not to
neglect in the future, the culture of crop
which, if it adds less dollars to their pock-
cts, is, after all, when a 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, if we except few planted for
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 of
public calamity, causing as it does, wide
spread misery among its numerous popu-
lation, and sometimes resulting in fam
inc, as in the year 1S48. 1t is true that we
are not dependent on potatoes as the Irish
are, for the chief article of food for the Ia
boring classes; still, with us as with them,
rank among the cheapest kinds of
diet in common use, Their healthfulness |