Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-03-15

be rather southern than the contrary, and
for the late crop Uice versa. The potato
does better in cool, moist climates, and
anything VIC can do to secure these artifi-
cially, where they do not exist naturally,
the more successful we will be in produc-
ing the crop. Much can be done in this
way in time of planting. If L were in
tending TO try the potato in warm and
sunny climate, would procure the very
earliest varieties and plant as soon in the
season as the ground could be worked in
good order, thus giving them time to
make themselves before very warm
weather set IL. Take the Early Rose, for
instance, and they are made early in
July before the hot weather commences.
In northern climate would experiment
with the late kind
PREPARING THE GROUND.
The land should be well ploughed, not
less than eight inches deep, and ten to
twelve inches deep is better in deep soils;
but in rather shallow soils, resting on
hard clay, too much of the clay should
not be turned up at once, unless, indeed,
it be turned up in the fall and well man
ured, with good barn yard or stable
manure, and then turned back in the
spring. The earlier the land is ploughed
in the spring the better, always provided
the land is in good condition and not too
wet; if it freezes after ploughing, all the
better, as frost is a great pulveri1er.
Whenit is time'tO plant, harrow and roll
il necessary, and strike out the rows fIom
twenty-eight to thirty inches from centre.
We grow the potato somewhat largely,
and plant in rows both ways thinking
we get full as many bushels of better
quality with less hard work in tending.
SEED.
Medium-sized, smooth, and the nearest
perfect potatoes make the best, as well as
most profitable seed. If l had a scarce
and valuable variety, and wished to pro-
duce the largest possible crop from a Civ
en- amount of seed, / would cut two sin
gle eyes and put one piece in each hull; but
where the seed is plenty and not more
valuable than expected the crop to be, |
would use whole potatoes for seed. The
tuber of the potato is natures store-house
of food for the young plants; it may be
more expensive than other food, but GER
tainly nothing else is so good. Themoth-
er's milk may be expensive food for young
animals, but what else is so gOodg
| Whole potatoes stand more wet and cold
than pieces, and even when they are killed
quite down to the ground by late spring
frosts, the eyes that had not sprouted will
| grow and produce good crops, whereas,
if they had been cut, they would have to
be planted over. The next best seed are
| where they are cut to two eyes in each
| piece, and two of these pieces in bill,
thus making four stalks. 1t is folly to ex-
pect large potatoes from hills where there
are more than three or four stalks; as
well might we expect to get large ears OF
corn from crowded hills, as large potatoes
from hills that have too many vines.
PLANTING.
We take rather a small pillow, large,
| long bladed shovel pillow does well,
and make the burrows from four to i've
inches deep, being careful to have them
of regular depth, so that each hill may
have a good place to grow in; this cannot
be too carfully done, as it would be an
easy matter to waste half the crop by
carelessness in striking out, for a potato
planted on top of the ground in dry sea
sons would almost be failure. DROP
carefully in the center of the cross rows,
SO they can be tended both ways; three
good hands will drop as fast as one team
will strike out, and three more will cove
them, and can do their work well and keeI
up with the choppers. We cover with thu
hoe, so we can see the rows made by tn
pillow, as well as the hills left by tn
cOVereTs.
TENDING THE CROP.
As soon as the sprouts begin TO com
through the ground, take cultivatOr ant
close it up, so it will run nicely betweel
the rows, and go as near the hills as pos
sible without tearing up the potatoes, am
90 twice IN each row, even if there is no
a single weed in the whole field, and tn
land is perfectly mellow; this is the hes
and cheapest working you can give tn
crop, if carefully done; if carelessly done
: you may tear half of them up. Let tn
owner see to it that this is well done
, | when his workmen start on the first row
: | In about week your potatoes will be UP
SO you can see the rows across the plant
, ing; work them out this way, with eithe
: a cultiyator or double shovel pillow, afte
! | which work them over every seven
eight DAYS with double shovel, till 20
AVE gone over them four times in al
tbe,N Just before the vines fall, or just &
tbev a~e blossoming out finely, take
s;nSle ap,I short bladed shovel plow an
90 once in row, the same way they al
69lsnted This will be nice dressing,
he strikinr.out was well done befol
Wanting. and am n2twriting for sloven
! for they seldom take or read the neWsp'
ners. and are Mortified at what they a.
, nleased to call book farming, OF, IN FAC
any intellectual culture for the farmer
4 SAVING THE CROP.
5 have never yet regretted digging u
! potatoes too early in the season, though
o have often done so at being TOO iat
IS Early dug potatoes should be put In
,e dark cellar, and on no account be expos
is to the hot sun, either in the field or heap
n or in the barn or shed where walls or n
ID perfectly tight A brick building VIII
N | out windows or the windows well-dar
TO | ened is a first-rate store room; or II y
put in piles in the field, cover with TIN
III or four inches of earth, and al viii
I'd safe till cold weather, when they C
er either be sold, removed to the cellar,
nd covered deeper. AS TO the procesf
inf digging: if there is one thing the farm