Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-01-26
Pnfnio Culture.

ING very timely word OF caution on potato
culture through the Country Gentleman
Ills remarks upon seeding should be needed
and remembered, for it appears to DE a well
demonstrated fact in the treatment of the
Early Rose, and the results thereirom, that
overseeing has been one Of the great draw
backs to potato culture
Potato fanciers may justly congratulate
themselves upon the general satisfaction which
the Early Rose has given the past season.
rs year Of rigid trial under various condi.
lions of growth. But / venture to record
the prediction that this famous potato has
reached heheight Of its popularity; and that
its reputation will rapidly wanc. ! do not
find the cause Of this the variety itself Ii
was well chosen to inaugurato n new era in
the cultivation Of this important crop, and
has done more than any other variety to raise
much despiscd and neglected vegetable to a
place Of high responsibility because it ranks
near perfection in the points Of size, form,
productiyenoss, health, quality etc
But the present condition Of American ag-
ficulmre is O stern ordeal 90 which 10 submit
any improved race, whether of animals or
plants He who seeds or breeds through
years Of careful selection or culture, ill
high condition OF Improvement has been reach-
ed, understands this very we'll and shrinks
from exposing the fond object OF his care TO
conditions which he knows will cause its rap
d deterioration. 10 D. notable fact that no
such improvement can long maintain is char
actor when Transferred TO the hands of our
farmers at large and "a forces upon our more
intelligent aud advanced agricu.ilralsts the
sentiment that IL Is our soils aud our methods
Of culture that must frst be improved and
that till this is done, disadvantages common
iy expected from improved stock or grains
can hardly be made available. So with the
instance in question. The Early Rose at a
dollar pound has received such care as TO-
return the fullest satisfaction Would that
our farmers might learn from these results the
lesson that it is just this thorough cultivation
that will return them the highest profit upon
their investments in land labor aud manure,
with any variety Of potato But instead, for
little while these high results will be attrib-
uted to the superiority Of the sort itself; and
when by iniudicious management and neglect
il becomes subject 10 rot and duninishes iu
size, il will be found out by the knowing that
It is no better than any other sort aud will
be pronounced short-liyed or humbur.
The danger to this potato upon which
wish 10 offer O word of caution 90 those who
plant il in future, is oCer-ScedRg. [ antici-
pate that this cause will tell upon IL earlier
than any other. Heretofore single eye in
a hill has been about the utmost of seed used
but the abundance Of the seed no longer
makes this necessary. So soon, however, as
medium sized tubers are planted whole, or
pieces from large one containing four or
five eyes are employed, we shall begin to hear
Of its hills being full of small potatoes. The
reason Of this fact is explained by plain prin-
cipes of vegetable physiology. The healthy
yigor which this variety possesses in common
with those Of its class aud new seedlings gem
orally, admits Of its throwing up strong
plant from each eye. Such plant by branch
es both above and below the surface soon in-
creases to full proportions. If several eyes
are placed in the same hill each grows and
not only must the plants maintain through
all their existence a struggle among them
selves for light and air, but each will be in-
cined TO set its natural number Of tubers,
which from lack of room and nourshment
must Of necessity be small.
True, when a whole tuber is planted, the
stronger eyes at its end like the terminal bud
on the shoot Of tree, will take the lead !;
but many Of the remaining ones are sure to
push into plants-they are practically separ-
ate plants--whch will be all the more feeble
for that 1t has been claimed in favor Of
planting whole tubers, that these few end
shoots, feeding upon the uutriment of the
whole potato, earliest reach full development /,
and the claim must be allowed Neverthe-
less, too many Of them will start, not to men
ton ieebler ones and the labor Of removing
the superAuous ones must over balance any
gain.
The high results attained by various cul-
tivators Of late by the use Of only one plant
IN a hill---a method which she raising Of the
new and costly sorts has taught them--is
working a reform in potato culture. Perhaps
the only open *question connected with this
method relates to the distance asuuder of the
hills in the row This will of course vary
with different varieties aud various soils, and
is only to be determined by experience. The
rationale Of this mode Of culture is that only
strong, fully developed plants be employed
it would seem that such may be obtained
most ieasiby from single eyes-that these
plants be evenly distributed over the field
and that their number be such as to secure
the greatest yield for there is a limit to the
number, which if we exceed we only lessen
the amount Of the crop.
The word of caution in relation to the
Early Rose herein expressed, is prompted by
conclusions drawn from experiments conduct.
ed by the writer during three years, in which
some old varieties, not too much enieebed by
age, were brought to the size aud productive
ness Of the new ones, and the latter were
degonerated to the low degree of the old
ones