Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-05-23
Plaster for POtat0es.

Plaster has not been much used for a
fertilizer for the potato in tie newly
settled portions of the country, because
the new soils would almost always for q
few years raise excellent crops of pota-
toes without it. The past season has
however demonstrated the beneficial
effects resulting from it's use in an un-
expected manner. The potato bug
made it's appearance early in the season
and plaster was applied to the vines
quite generally as a remedy. Except
ing when used with Paris green, it had
but partial effect in driving away the
bug, but in all cases where it was so
applied and the bug, did not destroy
the vines there was m excellent crop of
potatoes, although the season was the
driest known for many years.
From prize essay, on the "Culti-
walton of the Potato,'' written by D.
A. Compton, Hawley, Pennsylvania,
and published by Grange, Judd & Co.,
of New York, we take the following,
which will be found valuable and time
ly:
After all, plaster is the main depend
ence of the potato grower, help on
which he may rely with the utmost con-
tidence. Astonishing results are OBJ
tanned from its use, when applied in O
proper manner. The writer has seen q
field, all of the same soil, all prepared
alike, and all planted with the same
variety at the same time, on one-half
of which, that had no plaster, the Weld
was but sixty bushels per acre, and
many rotten the other part, to which
plaster was applied in the manner
hereafter explained, yielded three hun
dred and sixty bushels per acre, and
not an unsound one among them.
1t is said that plaster Is of most
benefit IN yet seasons; such is not al
ways the case. It is certainly benef-
cial to clover, wet or dry; so of pota-
toes. A few years since, when the
drouth was SO intense i'll this section as
to render the general potato crop almost
q total failure, the writer produced
a plentiful crop by the use Of plaster
alone. On examination at the dryest
time the bottoms Of the hills were
found to be literally dust, yet in this
dust the tubers were swelling finely !;
the leaves and vines were of rich,
deep green, and remained 80 until frost
while other fields in sight, planted
! with the same variety, but not treated
with plaster, were brown, dead, and
not worth digging. That gypsum at
tracts moisture may be proved by plas-
tering hill of corn and leaving hill
by it upholstered; the dew will be
found to be deposited in greater
abundance on the plastered hill. But,
according to Liebig, certain products
of the chemical action of plaster enter
into and are incorporated with the
structure of the plant, closing its
breathing pores to such an extent that
the plant is unable to withstand
drouth which would prove fatal to it
unassisted.
Certain it is that plaster renders
plants less liable to insects, and, so fur
as the writer's experiments extends, it
is fatal to many of the fungi family -
70 obtain the best results the vines of
potatoes should be busted with plaster
as soon as they are fairly tl,rongh the
soil, again Immediately after the last
blowing and l'ocins, and for reasons
thereafter given, at intervals through
ont the whole growing season. The
first application may he light the see
ond heavier, and thereafter it may be-
bountifully applied-say two hundred
pounds per acre ut one sowing.