Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1870-04-29
EXPERIENCE WITH POTATOES.


Western Reds taken to the Bermuda
Isles and planted, and their product
brought back with the new name,
and greatly improved qualities. lie
further claimed that they were good to I
bake or boil, good when first dig, and /
good the sutc 1cGi e August, nd vithal |
excellent to yield and withstand the !
rot. In his emphatic way he added:
II have cultivated 0ae hundred
and twenty-five different varieties of
potatoes, and tl.ey are the best potato
that grow"
We planted them, found them to
answer well the high recommend of
Major D., and they became the stan
dard potato of the region, doing we'll
several years, but finally dctcriorating
to such an extent as to give way to
other varieties. We think mistake
was made in not getting fresh seed
every few years of the same kind, for
with the single exception of the Peach
Blow, no variety introduced within a
few years past has done rs well, or,
all things considered, given as general
satisfaction. The high price of seed
often fourteen dollars per barrel
and the trouble of ordering from the
city, coupled with the fact that it has
to be kept over to the following year
to make crop, have operated to de-
ter farmers from renewing their
stock. t
Among the new varieties is the
Harrison, aud it can be said for IL
that it withstands discac well and is
wonderful to yield-four hundred
bushels to the acre being easily OBJ
tanned. As an eating potato, it is
passable when baked, but an outrage
when boiled, being soggy and streak
cd with dark shades, giving to n dish,
when mashed, such dirty look as
rather to repel than to tempt the APP
petite. They grow in compact mass
near the surface and are consequently
easily dug, but give many sunburnt
and ill-shapen tubers. 1t may be a
valuable sort for feeding purposes,
but otherwise must prove unsatisGac-
tory in this region.
An older variety-the Garnet Chill
lis largely cultivated and well es-
teemed, but is manifestly failing.
They are becoming subject to disease,
and Ike the Harrison give too large a
proportion of ovegrown, sunburnt,
and ill-shapen specimens. Intrinsic
ally, in our judgement, they always
were inferior to both the Peach Blow
and the Western Red, or Bermuda.
OF the early sorts, the Eearly Rose
is just now making the most noise.
Sundry parties hereabouts planted SO
many tubcrs or so many ounces, or SC
many eyes of seed, and got product
of bushels, pecks or pounds cores.
pOnding with dd nduseam reports al
sundry times printed in the RURAL
New YORKER from various corespon-
dents. 1t is hoped they will prove
better than the Early Goodrich, about
which almost as much noise was made
by interested parties few years ago.
1t is time that humbug was knocked
in the head. We have grown them
two years, which proved to be just
too many. Compared with variety
we had cultivated dozen years, call
cd the Early Shaw, We found that
when planted side by side, the same
day, and treated in all respects alike,
the Goodrich was a week longer get
ting out of the ground, ten or twelve
days later becoming fit for the table,
and s.rf,A.tosx.rr IL,
specimens, only exceeding the Early
Shaw in the single particular of bet.
ter withstanding rot. The Goodrich
yields well with us, is e-graine6
and white, and when ripe, cooks dry
and mealy, but sadly lacks flavor. at
don't taste tatery," and seems about
SIS nutritious as a mixture of sand and
saw-dust, or an average northwest
wind. We want no more of them.
Perhaps Il is not dPpropos to this sub,
subject, but permit us to state fact il
our potato experience which bears up.
on the question of deep or shallow
blowing, so frequently mooted among
the Mahattan savan. We were never
successful in getting a good yield Of
potatoes from sod deeply turned. Two
years ago we had couple of row,
planted around piece of corn. Ii
cavity on one side Of the lot, for {
distance of two or three rods, tho
ground was SO stony and hard that the
pillow ran on the surface, scarcel,
scratching the sod. While dropping
the seed, we at first thought it hardy
worth while to try for crop there,
but on second thought, concluded tc
do so, as we should thereby compel
the cultivation of the ground, So the
seed was duly placed and eartl
brought from few feet off to cover
It. The cultivator serapod along sods
stones &C., which were spread ON the
grass and piled around the hill, check.
ing, to some extent, the green growth.
A shOyel-plow, at the last hocing OF
the corn, dug up more stones and
sods, which were used as before. Sc
that finally the patch had tho APP
pearance of being partially cultivated.
Judge OF our surprise at the time OF
digging ON finding here twice as
great yield as there was in any
equal space IN the lot.
Prattsbmg, N. Y. w. d. p.
WE would never turn sod more
IMAM four inches deep for potatoes
pat We k"oc that it pays to follow
the snaiace pillow with subsoiler,
iliting the soil twelve inches deeper.
IL WIN pay ecery time on any kind OF
soil, no matter whether the sod Is
turned or fall in spring.-liores Ru-
raj Ne,c Yorker.
n A. m