Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1869-05-18
FACTS ABOUT POTATO PLANTING.

The potato crop Is SO very important one,
that no wonder It receives so much attention
from agricultural journals and agricultural So
cleties all over the country. Even bodies that
take 10 hand special matters have to step over
their bounds and go into their neighbours potato
field. Thus we find the New York Fruit Grow
ers' Club discussing potato tubers as loarnedly
and as enthusiastically as II they were Noblesse
peaches or the golden apples Of the Hesperi-
des.
1t will soon be In season to decide on the bast
methods OF cutting, planting and manurng
them for Notwithstanding all that has been
said, no one feels decided which Is best for him
to do.
We have had our own experiences, as all our
readers havei but when we lind Others as con-
scientlous as we are having different results from
| the same practices, we should be careful how we
dogmatize too much on the benefits OF our own
courses over those which our neighbors pursue.
We like to note, In fact, how others differ from
us; for It Is only by comparing the results Of
these differing practices that we get the true rule
| to follow.
Now, about killing up, our readers will re-
| member that We gave some carefuly-conducted
experiments of our own Of last season, much In
favor Of this practice Of fat culture. But, In a
report Of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society,
just received, we find the following:
"Presdent Anderson stated that he had been
experimenting for the past two years IN the
mode of planting potatoes without killing them,
placing the sets about two inches below the sur
face Of the soil, and simply covering them with
earth, and had found the yield largely increased.
Several other gentlemen stated that they had
tried the same experiment with similar results,
and should never sgain hill their potatoes but
simply cover them with sufficient earth to pre-
vent them from beng exposed to the sun In theil
growth"
Now, how are we to account for these vary.
ing resultsf
One might suppose that on fat land hlllinR
might be OF more service than on hills, as better
draining tho water away from the plants. But
our land Is billy, as is also Captain Anderson's
We have seen his farm, and the roll of both !:
exactly the same.
In recsnt report ofthe West Virginia Hor.
tcultura Society, we notice that the size of sets
were discussed; but 1t was evident that this wa.
not very material, for some had bad as good suc
, cess with medium sets, as others had had will
! large whole tubers. We have seen Just this re-
suit; all that Is In It Is, that very large sets re-
quire to be planted wider apert than the smaller
: ones.
, Then, as to the distance to set ordinary set,
apart results also differ. An Intelligent CORES
3 pendent Of the Western Rural gives some &C
count ofthe yield ofroots under bis system. He
g says:
Last spring planted eight or ten different
; kinds Of potatoes. The Early Goodrich and
! Harrison proved the best that had aud am
0 SO well pleased with them, that am going L
plant several acres OF them the coming season.
: These potatoes were planted In rows three feel
and a half apart and one foot In the row, on
: timber land that had been cultivated only two
l or three years. No manure had ever been nut
D. on the land. They were kept free from weeds
and billed up very little The yield was large
and think cannot be surpassed the Harrison
: yielding at tbs rate Of over $50 bushels per acre
: and the Early Goodrich 426.--Exchqnae.