Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-03-21
Planting Potatoes.

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, assumed
the green color and bitter taste of
the vine, making them unfit to feed
even to stock, on account of the
poisonous property engendercd by
the rays of the sun. The remedy
is, plant deep, six or seven inches,
for various reasons: 1t will permit
very early planting-an advantage
securing thus the seed against the
frost, or if reached by it, 1t willper-
nit it gradually to draw out, which
will save it; it will favor it in a
drought, and prevent the setting of
tubers too near the surface, so that
the sun cannot injure them; killing
can also be dispensed with, and
only the cultivator used to make
mellow and keep out the grass, with
no danger of hurting the roots or
tubers.
BY putting out early, with the
first mellow soil, the potato will
sprout and grow on unimDeded. in
the ground instead of the cellar.
and get the beneii, Of the winters
moisture, which, in an early
drought, is of importance. Partic-
ularly, should the early rose be put
out early. The experience here is
decided and unvarying, that You
cannot get it ont too early in case
you have mellow ground for it. 1t
will grow i'll the worst of weather,
snow and frost excepted, and seems
to delight in it, while at the same
time other sorts are ut Il stand still,
thus making it cmphatically what
1t is, an early potato. Plant close
rather than wide apart, say twelve
to fifteen inches in e row, rs this
sort keeps Its tubcrs close together,
Il nest of them, and easily gathered. |
They would then be of medium
rather than a large size, which is
favorable to quality; and by putting
but one or two eyes in a hill, there
will be few small potatoes. Thus a
crop of early rose can be ripened
very early, and of a superior quail
ty and yield. But the ground must
be dry or well-drained; and as
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 |
early, get the whole seasons growth,
and will ripen in time for dry gath
ering. \ potato 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 Il
watery condition, less concentra-
ton of substance.
Experience has demonstrated that
it is better to manure in the hill t
than to apply broadcast. Better
a poor soil with some good fertilizer
in the hill, than rich land; and the
best fertilizers are ashes, guano, re-
duced bone, plaster, &c. Ashes
a:e used as special manure for this
plant.
Will 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, not less
than six, and better seven inches
When | say better seven, / mean it,
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 quanti-
ty of unleached wood ashes and hen
dung in the hill, it the soil is not
rich. The ashes and dung should |
be applied and covered at once, 40
soon as mixed, or else the strength |
of the union will escape, and that
rapidly. Keep out the grass, keep
the ground mellow, and do not hill.
Avoid a stiff clay, and in no case
plant on wet, undrained SOIL
Country Gentleman.