St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-03-19
THE CALEDONlAN.
farm, Garden aud Iitfhfn.
Hoe to Raise La,-ge crops Of P0-
f0fOeS.

plant them, and to raise the largest and
best crop. The method l pursue, and
which pays better, far better than any OF
the old systems generally practiced, Is as
follows:
l. In the fall, plough deeply and sub
soil pillow, in all eighteen to twenty inch
es deep.
,. In early spring, pillow and subsoil
across the winter burrows, harrow and
roll.
,. Mark out, as for corn, three feet
apart each way, opening the burrows eight
inches deep.
/. At the intersection drop whole
potato. the largest you have, and spread
upon it handful (about forty bushels
per acre. ola compost made Of eight parts
IF wood ashes, four Of bone phosphate OF
lime, four Of fine ground plaster, two OF
linelv-- Stacked lime, and one Of salt or,
II preferred, three ounces OF artificial fer
iilizer per hill. Then cover, roll and
spread one thousand lbs. per acre of good
artificial fertilizer.
;. As soon a. the young plants APP
PEAR, run the cultivator close to and be
tween, but not over them, in each direc-
lion. Aftcrward, and before the weeds
-ouIe up, cultivate, both ways, with horse
hoe-so arranged as TO cut rs shallow
Us possible, and keep the surface entirely
lat. Repeat this at short intervals, three
INES. Then hand-hoe three times, still
lecping 4 flat surface. Allow no killing
1t amy time nor any weeds to grow.
i. As soon rs the tops are dead, dir
N clear dry weather, with heavy five
tined digging-iorks spread, under COW
or, to dry. and store in cool, dark, dry.
airy cellar, spreading half pint OF fresh
iy-slacked lime, i'll powder, on each bush.
II potatoes.
:. Gather and compost the dry tops
ior application next autumn then plow
and subsoil as before for the next years
crop.
The advantages of this system of cul-
ovation are:
/. No possible entire failure of the
crop.
,. No rot in healthy varieties.
3. The largest yield the soil and va
Iiety are capable of.
4. The largest proportion of large
potatoes
>. No degeneracy Of varieties, but
.oatinual Improvement.
t No necessity fer rotation of crops
The potato can thus be crown almost
Indefinitely On the saline land, with, per
hapS, at loEg intervals. seeding to clo-
ver, to maintain the supply of vegetable
liure in the soil.
:. No loss by late spring frosts. If
the carly growth is cut off, the dormant
cy's will @row and the crop be saved.
;. The greatest economy of culture
and harvesting.
., The highest table quality of poia-
If the materials for the compost can
not be obtained, top-dress heavily in the
fall, after blowing, with barn manure,
but never use it i'll the season of plant
&c. 1t may increase the crop, but tends
I" ensender disease, especially in wet
seasons. Any further information on
The subject will be chcertully furnished
On application to the undersigned
If you want liberal crops, you must
i've liberal culture.
ESTIMATE OF TIE COST or FIVE ACRES OF
POTATOES.
Rent Of ground, $40 per acre $50
cost of cultivation, $50 - 100
Cost of seed, 60 bush. Harrison, say
81 per bush. $50
Total. $3.50
Average yield of Harrison say 800
bushels per acre, 1900 sup
pose the crop to be sold at 81
per bush, $1,000
cost, $50
Total, SI.I2O
If part Of the crop be sold for seed, it
j. probable that for some years it will re-
die two or three times the estimate put
on it above. Will II pay ?-HomesteuM
There are some very good suggestions
IN the above but what is the need of
-ceding 50 heavily? Our experience Is
hat one gets as many pounds of potatoes
rom two or three eyes in hill, as from
4 whole potato, and that they are more
uniform III SIZE, and fewer little ones.
We raised 93 bushels of IIarrisons last
year from three bushels of seed. cut TO
two eyes. and there We're less than six
bushels of small ones in the lot. Those
planted in drills, two eyes in Il place, ten
u twelve inches apart, produced consid-
erably more than those planted i'll hills
two feet apart, with four eyes in a hill
1t viii be seen that the amount of seed us
cd was the samc.-Er. CAL~