The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-04-25


And melody floats on the psrfamed breeze.
In summer seat in . shady nook,
IA close BY The side Of psrliss brock,
WHARF ~ violet srova
Or the pale swamp rcss,
Iaiuting, sick meath the suns seorehing bean,
Dips her pale pstals In ths cooling strsan.
Oh, give mea homo in The country wide.
IN the golden days of . farmers pride,
When his harms Ars filled,
From The Asld he's titled,
Ard he Ssls that his yearly task 10 done,
And, sniinsat winter, bsckons him on.
PoTATOEs
One o. IT. ptineip.f eaasss q 4, ri.,
attending the farmers labor, 10 found in
The uncertainty Of his crops. SO II ha.
been the practice Of Hiss farmers tssdivide
their labarssup Into aS.sisty of piodlcts
and thus to lessen tho risk upon any one,
At tho same time they have taken tbs
greatest care to provide themselves with
tho best Of seed, At whatever price. And
still, in spite Of tho better cultivation,
moro liberal manuriug, and moro intslli-
gent selections Of varieties, we hsar contin-
ued complaints Of failure, especially in 70.
gard to potatoes. Those among the Plough.
nsn'a Massachusetts, readers who planted
potatoes twenty-five years ago, know that
there has been complete change Of vsris-
ties many times since then, change Of.
ts1er repeated IS time goes on.
twenty-five years ago IN English white
potato vas planted for early Use, deep
blue or calico for Winter use, and . long
red for late Spring. They were al COED
potatoes, with slight deduction for the
seed end Of the Last, and they were plant
Cd year after year without failure or Gem
plant. Thsn came the rot, with the de-
struetion Of tho old varieties, and tho ne
ssssity Of new. to take their place
First came the "Davis Seeding" COARSE
strong potato, which has oontrivsd to sur.
vivs our mismauagsuent, though oooa-
sionally falling; and the ''Dover,"s arst
rate variety. long since dead. To them
have succeeded numberlsss "Whitss" and
"Rsds," ''Garnets" and "Cuscos "''Goed-
rieh' aud "sarly Rose," with others still
In the state Of advertising st IS pound,
oil Of which have passed OF are passing
from "prins" 70 ''fsir," then to "not 80
good this yess," and 10 to "worthless."
Doubtless more than one Of the thinking
readers Of the Plosghman has asked HIM
self Why it ID that these potatoes will not
bear replanting, - did the older varieties
first named. The Plsughnsan will attempt
to give reasonable answer to tho ques-
ton, founded partly upon theory, partly
upon expsrience-which is merely theory
wrought out in the ground.
Apotato ripened, and newly dug from
the ground is plump, mealy, and dry near
ly pure starch. II kept in the ground, be-
low the frost, If does not sprout, but re-
mains in this condition until warm wealth
or. But if harvested and placed in the GEL
lsr, 1t soon begins to change. 1t becomes
less mesly, 10 more heavy, and although it
weighs less it is watery. The starch which
made it light has disappeared, and has
been changed by chemical action into su-
gar and water. The potato has ceased to
bs edible, and has become 6t for support
Ing tho new life that is about beginning.
Then the shoots start and draw upon the
tuber for their support. It is . curious
fact that if the tuber, in growing, is expos
Cd to the rays Of tho sun. the shsots start
almost - soon % the potato is ripe ned.)
A. the shoots push eut further and be-
On to give cut moisture, the tubsr shrivels
and finally il nearly hollow, th .. whole Of
Ito interior having gone to tho support Of
the new plant. At this time the roots CIV
On of where the shoot came out Of the po-
tato, strike of into the soil and prepare
to support tho life Of the shoot. We no.
tice, also, that when potato is cut for
planting, the cut surface undergses such a
change after it is planted, that it does not
change with tho rest of tho inside but be-
GENES hard like tho skin.
It would seem from these observations
that tho interior Of the old plant is Of Vi
tsl importance to the new, when it is get.
ting settled In tho world, and that in case
Of cutting especial pains is taken to pre-
serve Il from change or loss.
''But 10 have changed oil that" We
take tho valuable seeding, cut it into -
many pieces % there are eyes, plant each
detached fragment, (hslf Of which never
would have pushed 1t oil, naturally in .
Ast-bsd, or in . rich soil, raise one hun
drsd pou,ds out Of stock that should
have raised only ok Or eight. and when We
have got tho crop We divide that in the
same manner.
This may be excellent physiology for the
potato, but nowhere in tho animal kingdom
DO 10 know such ~ exception to tho rule
shat vsr.bresdiss destroys the vitality Of
ths offspring as we'll % tho parent. And
renders II liable to many and fatal defects.
Now for the fact in support Of tho theo.
~. Three years ago, whom the ''deod-
lieh," out TO death, WAS passed BY for the
New fAvorite, which now 10 ON the down.
hill side Of potato life-thrss years ago We
got "f neighbor forty "Early Rose" and
planted them honestly, one in each hin,
cutting them once whom larger than hens
ssg, while he. believing that the great mis-
taks Of our fathers WAS in seeding too
heavily, out his after tho new pattern.
Our lands are hardly pistol shot apart
We ussd tho Same kind Of manure, even
the same system Of cultivation, and yet he
tells me that his do not come out we'll this
year, while mine 'come up smiling"
,.OAe swallow does not make SUMNER"
nor does one fast prove prluciple, but We
hope that further experiments may settle
the question ss to the nature Of that diff
Guilty which renders It necessary for 40 to
have new hind Of potato every three
years.-KassaehusetlsP loughman.
"A firm in sehstisld, England. has just
succeeded in rolling the largest armor
plates ever made. The plates are intend.
Cd to protect the turrets Of the great war