The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-03-19

Culture or the Potato.

cWl<aSEC W VUC EVSSaSVs
From IN article writton by Mr.. =:
williams. the well-known nursery.
man of Montclair, N. j., we select
The following remarks on the prcpa-
ration of the seed and the soil:
TUE SEED AND ITS PREPARATION.
SIT you were to see q farmer save
his corn nubbins for seed, or select
she meanest and most indifferent
specimen of horse, COW, or swine
from which to perpetuate his stock,
you would doubtless at once set him
down 80 fool. Let US hope this
practice is not prevalent; yet many
otherwise intelligent farmers act
about as sensibly in their potato
growing; for they insist year after
year in selecting small seed, and
then wonder they don't succeed
better; "potatoes don't do as we'll
IS they used tol-sbsll have to buy
potatoes this season!" etc.
Now, reasoning from analogy,
,'like begets like. "and for the same
reason that I would select the best
eats of corn, the best and heaviest
wheat, rye, or oats for sowing would
| select the best, largest, and smooth.
est potatoes for planting, believing
as ] do, that such potatoes are ear
lier, maturer, and better developed
than small ones. r..
True, such seed would bring a
little more than small ones in the
market. but few dollars and cents
gain there is no comparison to the
gain l get in the increased yield,
continued health and vigor Of potato
crops.
l believe one chief cause Of the
failure and deterioration Of the po-
tato is the persistent use of small
and immature seed. My expert
nents have led me to practice cut
ting scod to one or two eyes, to pre-
vent overlooking, and to allow the
growing tubcrs room to ''sprcad
themselves g I E
THE So1L. i generally follow corn
with potatoes. If the corn was we'll
manfred with stable manure, and
the soil we'll decomposed, l plant the
potatoes in drills or rows about thir-
ty inches apart, and ten to twelve
inches apart in the rows, with only
. slight dressing Of lime, ashes, or
plaster applied on the seed after
dropping. If the soil is poor. I ap-
ply good dressing Of we'll decom-
posed manure broadcast.and harrow
it in. (Green, unfermented manure
is to be avoided, as it tends to en-
gender dlsease.) In either case /
apply the dressing of lime, plaster,
OF ashes in the row before covering,
and plant early. If the ground is
very foul, l plant in hills two and .
half to three feet apart, and Quilt
yate both ways. As soon as the
young plants begin to peep through
| hitch to the harrow and cross the
rows This is the first cultivation
in about a week or ten days l run
pillow through, turning the furrow
from the rows, and hand hoe. taking
particular pains to lcoaen the earth
around the plant. which, by this
ti1ae, is apt to be somewhat baked.
For this purpose, or hoeing Of any
kind. have never seen an instru-
ment that will compare with an un-
patented prnged hoe which | have
had made to order. The next plow-
ing is done just before blooming, the
furrow turned toward the row, hand
hoed and hilled moderately, No
further attention is given them till
harvesting, unless it be to 60 over
and pull out any weeds that may
have escaped our attention at the
last working.