The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-05-05
FARMERS COLUMN.


j vast increase II tLI G-I-AJ4c tAONI
Of the potato e!yp might be obtained y
deep and thorough cultivation 0. the soil,
and getting the sets into the ground early,
before they have exhausted their strength
by sproating. Unless the SOIL IS naturally
or artifciaIly drained, deep tlllage viii be
useless, for she roots OF the potato cannot be
induced to penetrate deep into soil satuTat-
ed Wlth water. Ia order TO secure u large
agreeable yield Of potatoes, the soil should
be titled to the depth Of L inches or more.
This may lie done b. snbsoii plow follow
ing in the turrow made by the common
pow and soitening tie subsOll without
turning it up. The manure should be Of
the best quality, oily and half decomposed.
Long wisps OF dry litter are not suitable
manure for any kind OF crop.
. u hen The soil has been titled very deep,
well pulyeIizod aud enriched BY suitable
manure, the earthing-up OF the plants VII!
be unnecessary; In tact, the process gen
orally does more harm than good, and is
only useful so far as it destroys weeds and
keeps the soil mellow about the roots. Ii
one wanted 10 obtain large number of off
SETS or tubers from q potato plant, then the
plan OF layeglng, or IN other words earth
IDg-up the plants, would be the best way
of managing them. But it is more desira
be TO increase the weight Of the tubers
than TO obtain great many small ones. 1t
is not the offsets which grow IN the soil,
plowed or hoed up against the stems, that
nOu-ish the plants but on the contrary it
is the plants which nourish the off sets, al
the expense Of some other parts. The
strings TO which tie tubers are attached
are not the roots; or In other words are not
the feeders OF the stem above ground, but
robbers Of 1t, being the receivers OF the III
gradients which the stem and leaves have
elaborated.
The roots, which are the real feeders Of
the plants, are situated at the bottom Of
the stem, and their tendency is always
downward whereas the tendency OF the
tuber lies to the surface, and 10 the action
OF the sun and the atmosphere. the better
viii be its quality, provided II IS not IN
covered. Il hen patatoes in drills are
heavily carthed, late in the Summer, the
tubers are never OF good quality. The
weight and other good qualities depend up
on the energies Of the roots underground,
and OF the leaves above ground and it an
PEARS evident enough that the earthing up
of the stem must prove injurious than uso>
fui to these organs for the leaves OF the
plant, being tar above ground, can receive
no benefit from a few inches Of soil added
to the surface. If the set was rightly plant
ed as regards depth, the earghingup Of the
green stem must disarrange the original
form OF the plant, making the collar Tor
point between the earth and air) which Ma
ture placed at the surface, quite under
ground. 1t is well known fact that
earthing up the collars of trees and Of
most Of the higher order Of plants, causes
diseases and very often death.
Earthing up can be Of no benefit to the
roots, as the tendency of the spongioles or
feeders is downward, and in warm climates
they cannot derive nourishment from the
soil near the surface which is dried by the
intense heat. Manure for the potato should
be placed where the roots can extract from
it the necessary ingredients fer building up
the plants and increasing the size Of the
tubers, The accounts in the agricultural
papers Of the extraordinary yield of the
Early Rose and other varieties, from SIM
gle eyes, may induce inexperience per
sons to think that small sets are more pro-
ductlve than large ones; but this is not the
case. Well shaped tubers Of medium size,
divided into strong sets, will give the great
est return Of marketable tubers.
In selecting potatoes for seed all miss
shapen tubers should be rejected, and at.
tention should be given to preserving the
true shape of the variety. Long tuoers in
a round shaped variety, are a mark OF de-
terioration, and round tubcrs in kidney
shaped variety are equally ont of place. In
the culture Of the potato, as well as in that
of every crop, frequent change Of seed
will be beneficial.
When land has not been deeply titled
and properly prepared in every way for the
potato crop, it will be necessary to do some
thing toward remedying the evil by plow
ing deeply between tie drills and puiveriz-
ing the soil with the cultivator and drills
roller. \ properly constructed double
mold board plow, passed between the drills
after the soil has been plowed and puver-
lied, will turn the soil towards the plants,
without piiing it too high over the collars.
This plan of operation provides a water
course between the drills or rows Of hills
which will be very useful during heavy
rains in Summer and Autumn. For the pur-
pose of keeping down weeds, and breaking
the crust which forms on the soil after rain,
TIE cultiyator should be kept at work until
the vines become too large FOR this nipple
ment. The double-mold board pillow gives
the finishing touch to the alter culture of
the potato Western Rural
REARING CHICKENS. The following are
some rules that it would be well to observe
in rearing chickens:
/. Keep the chicks in warm, clean, dry
coop.
>, Don't let them run out in the morn,
ing until the sun has removed the dew from
the grass.
8. Let them have plenty of food and
fresh water.
I. The coop must he rat-proof.
5. Don't let the chicks have access to
Stops or stagnant water
See that they are housed when
storm is threatening
Rules for keeping the hencry in proper
order
/. Clean out every day, and sprinkle
handful Of lime.
,. Sprinkle ashes over the floor two or
three times 4 week. Frequently change
the straw or hay forming the nests, and
white wash the nest boxes at every renewal
and twice year thoroughly whiteHash the
whole interior of the house.
Rules for the management Of setting
hens:
/. Set the hen in place where she will
not be disturbed.
,. Give large hen 10 Or u eggs, medi-