Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-03-13

The potato the past year was failure
in quality 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, as
sumed the green color and bitter taste OF
the vine, making them unfit to feed even
to stock, on account of the poisonous
property engendered by the rays of the
sun. This remedy is, plant deep, from
six to seven inches. This for various
reasons 1t will permit very early plant
ing-an notwithstanding thus the
seed against the frost, or if reached by
it, it will permit it graduoIly to draw
out, which will save it; it will favor it
in drouth, and prevent the setting of
tubers too near the surface, so that the
sun cannot iniure them; killing can also
be dispensed with, and only the cultiya-
tor used to make mellow and keep out
the grass, with no danger Of hurting the
roots or the tubers.
BY putting out early, with the first
mellow soil, the potato will sprOut and
grow on, unimpeded in the ground in
stead of the cellar, and get the benefit OF
the winters moisture, which, in an early
drouth, is of importance. Particularly
should the Early Rose be put out early.
The experience here is, decided and I'M
varying, that you cannot get it out too
early in case you have mellow ground
for it. 1t will grow in the worst of
weather, snow and frost excepted, and
seems to delight in it, while at the same
time other sorts are at a stand-still, thus
making this emphatically what it is, an
early potato Plant close rather than
wide apart, say twelve to fifteen inches
in the row, as this sort keeps its tubers
| close together, a nest Of them, and easily
! gathered. They will then also be of a
medium rather than large size, which
| is favorable to quality; and by putting
one or two eyes in hill, there will be
small potatoes. Thus a crop of Early
Rose can be ripened very early, and of
a superior quality and yield. But the
ground must be dry or 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 precisely as early. They will,
then, by being put out very earl y, get
the whole seasons growth, and will
ripen in time for dry gathering. A pota-
to wants to be grown rather slowly, but
continuously, and well 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 watcry condition less concentration
of substance.
Experience has demonstrated that it is
better to manure in the hill than to APP
ply broadcast. Better poor soil, with
some good fertilizer in the hill, than
rich land; and the best fertilizers are
ashes, guano, reduced bone, plaster etc.
Ashes are Especial manure for this plant.
VIII our farmers who are not in the
secret of early planting, try it this year?
Try it on a small scale if no other. Put
out with the very first mellow soil, if it
is March; but be sure and plant deep,
never less than six, and better seven,
inches. When | say better seven
mean ii, particularly with the Early
Rose. But do it with all sorts. Do not
fear the frost with the seed so deep in
the ground. Put a good quantity of I'M
leached wood ashes and hen dung in the
hill if the soil is not rich. The ashes
and dung should be applied and covered
at once, as soon as mixed, as else the
strength by the union will escape, and
that rapidly. Keep out the grass, keep
the ground mellow, and do not hill.
! Avoid a stiff clay; and III no case plant
ON wet, undrained soil.-F. q, In Conn
! tpY Gentleman