Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-04-17
Planting Potatoes.

hC poe"to lAo EStsot year WIS Iall-
ure in qua'ity on account of the great
heat. Many tubers were SO scorched
that they became watery and rank !;
and some very near the surface or
partly exposed, assumed the green col
or and bitter taste of 'the wine, making
them unfit to feed even to stock, on
account of the poisonous property en-
gendered by the rays of the sun. Tie
remedy is, plant deep, from six to sew
en- inches This for various reasons:
II will permit very early planting
notwithstanding thus the seed
against the frost, OF if. reached by it, it
VIII permit it Srad~ally'to draw out.
which will save it; it will favor 1t in a
drouth, and prevent the setting OF tu-
bers too near the surface, SO that the
sun cannot injure them; killing can
also be dispensed with, and only the
only the eultivator uad, to make
and keep cat. ths gas, with no
danger of hurting the roots or the tu
beTs. ing / a
BY putting out carly, with the first
mellow soil, the potato will sprout and
grow on unimpeded in the ground in
stead ofin the cellar, and get the benefit
of the Winters no ssure, which in en-
early arouth, is of important P;r.ic.
ularly should the Early Rose be put
cut early. The experience here, is, dc
slded and unvaryng, that you cannot
get it out too early in case YOU have
mellow ground for it. 1t viii grow in
the worst of weather, snow and frost
excepted, and seems to delight in it
whale at the same time other sorts are
at a stand still, thus making this EN-
phatically what it is, an early potato,
close rather than wide apart,
say, - to Is inches in the row, as1' this
sort keeps its tubers close together,
nest Of them, and easily gathered
They will then also be of medium
rather than a large size, which is ia
vorable to quality; and by putting but
one or two eyes in hill, there will
be few small potatoes. Thus a crop of
Early Rose can be ripened very early,
and Of superior quality and yield.
But the ground must be dry OF well
drained; and as a guard against rot,
there should be more sand than clay
in the soil. ;
Late sorts should receive the same
treatment as early. They will then, by
being put out early, get. tie whole
seasons growth and will lie in tine for
dry gathering. A potato wants to be
grown. slowly, bnt continuously, and
we'll ripened. 1t will then be sound
and solid, fine grained, and of better
flavor also more mellow. Rank growth
will give rank taste, and a watery
condition less concentration of sub
stance, 49, .
Experience has demonstrated that it
is better to manure in the hill than to
apply broadcast. Better a poor soil,
with SEINE good fertilizer, in the hill,
than rich land !; and the best fertilizers
are ashes, guano, reduced bone, plas
ter, Go. Ashes are a special manure
for this plant
VIII our farmers who art not in the
secret of early planting, try it this year.
Try it on small scale if no other.
Put out with the very first mellow soil,.
if it is in March; but be sure and plant
deep, never less than six,. and better
seven inches. When I say better. sew
en- mean it particularly with the Ear
ly Rose. But do it with all sorts. Do
not fear the frost with the seed so deep
in the ground. Put good quantity Of
unleached wood ashes and hen dung in
tue hnl if the soil is not rich The ash
es and dung should be applied and COW
cred at once, as soon as mixed, or els,
the strength by the union evil escape,
and shat rapidly. Keep out the grass,
keep the ground mellow.-Cosntry
Gentleman