Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-02
IRISH Potatoes.

The potato crop is one of so much i'm
pOrtance to the country both as an article
of food and as a commodity that enters
largely into commercial transactions, that
we are sure our numerous readers viii
pardon us for again adverting to the best
method of cultivating them and the best,
as well as cheapest, fertilizers to use.
The Irish potato does best in cool,
moist climate, and is greatly influenced
by the character of the soil. Sandy soils
with large amount of vegetable matter
invariably produce mealy tubers, while
stiff, clayey soil, unless its influence is
contracted, will as certainly make waxy
potatoes. For field crop, after the land
has been well broken, the rows should be
laid off three and a half feet, and
the potatoes cut into pieces with two or
more eyes on each and dropped, each
piece eight inches apart. Upon these,
apply whatever fertilizer you may decide
to use. Many persons prefer laying off
the ground both ways and dropping at
the intersections. The necessary cult
walton in the latter case can be done en-
tirely with the pillow. Some potato rails
ers recommend throwing the dirt
to the potatoes at the last work
ing. We are free to confess that
for many years such was our plan, but
recent developments, the result of acct
dent, have led US 10 believe that level
cultivation is much TO be preferred, and
the yield will be far superior. In 1866
we planted several acres of late potatoes,
but as tobacco was high, worms plentiful,
and labor scarce, we found it impossible
70 bestow upon them the usual amount of
wsrk, and nothing was done to part of
the crop except TO weed them out and TO
work them with the cultivator. The
others in the same piece of ground had
an additional blowing and the dirt well
thrown up about them. In the fall,
when they were dry, those that had only
q slight cultivation yielded nearly third
more, row by row, than those that were
billed up. Nor is the result to be won
dered at, when we remember that the
more level land is kept, the greater the
amount of humidity it will retain, an d
other things being the same, the potato
viii yield iu proportion TO The quantity of
moisture nearly up to the drowning
point.
We have already, ia previous article,
mentioned the experiments made with
Patapsco guano and the super-phosphste
of lime. There are, however, many other
fertilizerO that are nearly as good, that
can be had at ore half the cost. First
among these is hog hair. After the po-
tssoes have been dropped in the furrow,
let tuft Of hair, sufficiently large to
cover the potato, be placed upon it, and
covered over TO the depth of four inches
with dirt. We have never seen a failure
TO raise large crop of good, mealy pota-
toes, when hog hair was used. Unlike
the potatoes grown with barn-yard ma
nure, they are mealy, easily cooked and
washed, aud are destitute of the objec-
ti0nable waxy taste and soapy appear
ance. An analysis of hair gives sulphate
Of lime, common salt, silica, oxide of
iron and some sulphuetted gases, all of
which enter as elements in the potato.
We have been assured by an observsnt
friend that the best potatoes are made in
this Climate by using compost made of
Dry muck, bushels.
Lime, 8 bushels.
Leached ashes, (woOd,) 10 bushels.
Salt, bu shel.
Gypsum OF land plaster, bushels.
Let all this be well worked together,
and double handful used upon each
potato, planted in hills three feet each
way. Our friend assures US that on poor
land, with a mulatto clay, 'as poor as
you ever saw" he produced 40 bushels
of the Early Goodrich variety to the acre.
The comparative failure in the crop
last year has made the price advance to 8
point thst makes IL one Of the most re.
munera,ive 20 TIE farmer. We hope t.
see the d,y when Tennessee with hel
rich soil, st vel adapted to The growth OF