, 1873-04-28
THE FARM AND GARDEN.

THE FARM AND GARDEN.
Tho pOtAt0& and tho Conditions thnt
MINT He Supplied In Order to Its
Successful Otlltllre--T1linKs TINT xVo
Leave Undona TINT we Ought to Do,
nnd Some Things that We Should Not
DO--Tho Cnnt0r-OII Igcnn n Pcrcr.-
| mini and nm Annual..pho Ilunnfnv-
Out OF VnrlctlcB.
From Our Agricultural Correspondent.
CHAMPAIGN, ILL.,, April 20, 1879.
Asa general thing tho Importance Of
TIE POTATO oRor
ID lost aight Of on tho farm, and is loft to those
oultiyatorB who mako 1t q specially. Thfa Is. to
| = certain degree, wrong, for tho potato is a
profitable crop when put In Its proper place In
tho rotation. Then, aside from the markets, the
| potato Inns d valuo for tho feeding Of atook,-
not undor all conditions, tt ia truo, but under
many circumstances, and H. ia our duty
to study and consider tlioao. Wo muBt
novor lose Bight Of tho fact that tho
weathor iB beyond our control, aud, while we
cannot order tho weather, VIC may accommodate
ourselyos to its changing moods. Wo noed not
stop to pray for rain, for that Is matter that
docs not pertain to prayer wo mood not ask for
Its suspension, for no amount OF praying will
change tho elements, for they aro controlled by
fixed lava but NO may pray for knowledge how
bost to oouform ourselves to tho conditions TINT
God has eiyon us. God is not going to sond us
bakod loayeB broiled fab, and roast beet, whom
wo ask Him to give us this day our daily bread
but no aro to obtain thcso from the means that
aro presented to our handa.
Our King ia Commerce, and re worship In
groupB. We aro bent on nloney-getting no
must turn our labor to cash before we look after
la
grow wheat, md soil 1t to tho allppors, and then
buy our 1ouf' from the dealer. We grow corn,
and sell 1t for 20 cents bushel or loea than half
accnt a pound, aud buy meal at n cont pound.
Wo sond to Minnesota and Michigan forpotatoos,
Or, what ia worse, often do without them. We
send to tho markot-gardonor for onions, and buy
canned fruit from Baltimore. We sell boof and
| pork on foot and depend On tho Chicago packers
for cornod beef aud hams. and thou wo
raiae a hue and ory against railroads and middle-
men; and yot no class Of mon employ these,
more unbusinosa.1ike, than the farmers. Lot
| us, then, show little more wisdom, and first
produce all tho products that wo need for tho
farm that are consistent with our soil aud cl-
mate, and then spend the remainder Of our Of
forts in growing something for tho market.
The old story about hog and hominy was no
myth, but ono based On solid truth but tho
honiny-mili has given place to tho potato-patch
and every family TINT has supply Of good pota-
toes abandon tho use Of Aominy. If you 20 on D
weI-cultivatod and woll-managed farm, you will
find well cared-for field Of potatoes; il at
tho North, it will be tho Irish potato,
and, II at tho South, the sweet potato. In
Short tho potato ia tho index of good farming
and Of thrift. Tho farmer who knows whore to
place his field Of potatoes knows that tlero IL q
fitness Of things and gives to each crop it's
proper position in tho rotation.
| WHERE TO PLANT
Is tho first question to DO considered. And hero
is wlloro most farmers mako the grcnt mistake in
regard to this crop. Wo must not forget TINT all
plsnta have natural homo; that is, there are
certain conditions that make up the measure Of
Buocoss. As IN instance, tho caator-boap is .
perennial In the tropics, and ! hayo
seen sections Of these hean.etalks 0
bean-plant; but. with us, it is IN ANNUAL, grow
Ing and ripening itH aeeds as fur north aa Is do
groes OF latitude. Now, whilo we may grow
castor~boans tor local uso, We cannot compete
iii the markets. of the world With those grown in
must make annunf paintings, and force tho plant
by high culture, and thon, In cool seasons, it
will fall Of maturing shilo, at tho South, it is
at homo, delighting III . high temperature. and
drouth willaorously affeotit. The potato plant ia
somewhat analogous, only TINT 1t is nativo Of q
| mountain elevation, whore tho summer heat does
| not reach It, and whore the wtntor-Bnow pro-
atmosphere, saturated by the melting SHOWS,
| and never subject to drouth or oxcoBs Of mole-
ture. 4 high latitude, whore the summer is
short, tho air lmpregnatod with continued moia-
| that tho valleys that lie deep IL tGe snowy range
present to 1t. That is the natural home OF tho
potato, and whence shall como tho large supplies
That nm . demands Sn1a snan whus @
gan, and nlong the whole line Of lakcs is q
elimate suited to this crop; and tho farmer has
but to aoloct the soil, and loarn from oxperi-
ence in regard to tho time Of planting.
Kansas, and other points not we'll alapted to tho
sweet-potato, wo mood this vegetable tubnE, md
must bavo It; and tho question is, shal we
bring 1t from q moro congonlal climate, or shall
We not see II thero arc not tho conditions here
that mny warrant us in tho planting?
We may not expect to essentially change itH
habits. Wo ought not 70 suppose that it can be
brought to endure our long, hot snmmors; nor
will 1t resist tho frost Of our wintors in the open
fure, and thrive In cloudy, cool, backward spring
weathor we may plant it aB Boon as frost is out
Of tho ground and have tho crop maturcd before
the long, hot days OF summer.
tho sood will rot in the ground and, il we plaut
shallow, the plants, when above ground, will be
liable to be killed by frost. But we will look q
little further, and sec how this shallow planting
may bo managed, and this brings III back to the
planting, and tho
have said that the soil should bo rich, deep,
and well supplied with humuB, or, in plain
aud this is best supplied BY tho roots Of the
grasses and clover; aud we find TINT meadow Of
tng, Is tho best, tor tic potato, and