Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-04-30

furroW, with large rake made fol
the purpose we laid the cutting
or sets on the manure close to tn,
unturned earth, so that they com'
up through the crevice between tn,
burrows; we then carefully turned
a furrow down on them and ploweC
two more rounds, then raked in the
manure and proceeded as before
We always selected for seed gooC
sound potatoes about the size Of an
egg, and cut them in two and used
from them ten to twelve bushels Of
seed per acre.
The next member who gave an
opinion usually planted from three
quarters of an acre to one acre
and used the largest of his pota,
toes for seed, and cut them so as to
have at least two eyes in each piece;
never used more than ten bushels OF
seed for an acre. His place for
planting was where he had corn the
year before, and after applying
about ten loads of manure per acre
he plowed the potatoes in every
third furrOw in the same manner as
the member who spoke first. He
had tried both methods, but pre-
ferred the one which he now prac-
tlces. In both these plans the pota-
toes are removed in time to give
place to a crop of wheat without
any extra manure, and always pro-
duce a fine crop.
Another member plants in last
years corn-feld, but plows the
ground well in the fall, and in the
spring strikes out burrows three
feet apart, and after placing his
manure in, then lays his sets, cut
side down, on the manure, and
covers them with board drawn di-
agonally to the burrows which are
about six inches in depth. Uses
seed about the size Of hens egg,
and smaller, at the rate of about
ten bushels per acre; cuts the large
ones in two, and if much smaller
than a hens egg, plants whole.
Last year he tried two rows, one
planted with the largest potatoes
cut so as to have three eyes in a
set or piece, and the other with his
smallest potatoes (none more than
an inch in diameter.) both at the
same depth and in the same man
ner, and could detect no differenc c
in the yield, nor could his hired
man, vino did not know of the diff
ference in seed. He had found it
beneficial to roll the cut sets in
gypsum before planting and ap-
piled unleached wood ashes to the
rows as soon as the plants were up;
this he thought kept the weeds
from getting a start
He kept his potatoes through the
winter in large covered bin in the
cellar; this bin would hold about
hundred bushels, and was so con-
structed that the bottom and sides
were about six inches from the floor
and walls.
He had found from experience
that potatoes would keep better if
no light could reach them. One
year he had more than his bin would
hold, and threw the remainder into
one corner of another cellar where
they froze solid as soon as this
was discovered they were well COW
cred with old clothes and carpets,
etc, and came out in the spring as
sound as if they had not been fro
zen, but small portion planted
for experiment did not grow.
Another member had expert
mented in the size of the seed and
manner of planting, and came TO
the conclusion that it was most pro-
fitable to use medium-sized potatoes
cut in four pieces aud placed eight
OF ten inches apart in the furrow.
Hehad tried large ones cut in two
and in four, and with but two eyes
in piece with medium sized ones
cut in two, and planted whole; and
with small ones planted without
cutting, and could detect little diff
ference in the yield. In each case
the distance apart at which the sets
were placed depended upon the
number of eyes which they con-
tanned. He considers that an eye
will produce a good stalk no matter
whether it comes from a large, me.
dunn size, or small potato; thinks
that tho cutting should always be
governed by the number OF eyes
and not by guess, as he has found
potatoes Of the size Of a hens egg
with but two eyes, and others OF
the same size with more than a
dozen. lie thinks that one stalk
every eight inches is enough, and
if we plant more than two eyes i'll
this distance we will have too many
stalks to produce well but TO in
sure plaut he prefers to plant at
least two eyes in a place and eight
or ten inches asunder.
Another member had applied
various top-dressings to his pOta-
toes with varied. effect. Had used
plaster, ashes, the two mixed, salt,
salt and ashes, salt and lime, and
salt, ashes and lime, and in point
Of economy preferred the latter
lie used five bushels Of salt, ten OF
lime and ashes, for an acre, and ap
piled to the hills by hand.
lie always buried his potatoes III
the field or some other convenient
place, IN long, narrow mounds
taking care never to get the pota
toes more than four feet thick, anC
to leave openings in the mound un
til cold weather had set in. III
finds it economical TO plant pump
| kins in the rows among the potatoes
| the only objection being that tn,