Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1873-04-18
THEORY AND EXPERIENCE IN
POTATO GROWING.

eau prevent IL now, ana we Will give our
reasons, because we know that good many
intelligent farmers hold the same beliefs on
the subject that we once did. These may be
summed up as follows;
LIST. That the potato plant was enfeebled
by long course of propagation from the
tubers, without renewal from seed, or from
the wild plant.
I'd. That deficiency Of the elements Of
plant food, and especially of potash in the
soil, was another enfeeblng cause.
Sd. That heterogeneous and fermentable
mauures caused the rot. and that the use Of
mineral fertilizers would prevent it.
Taking these views as correct We have for
seven years acted upon them, planting varie.
ties newly produced from seeds of the wild
plant, in soil literally supplied with potash,
phosphate aud sulphate Of lime, and exclud-
ing entirely all stable manure. The result
was that we have raised large crops, but
have lost as large percentage by rot as any
Of our neighbors that followed the old ways.
What do we conclude from these results ?
We will state the conclusions in the same
order as we stated our first belief or theory.
lst We now believe from observation
and experience, that the potato has not run
out, and we doubt if it can be run out mere
ly by propagating it continuously from the
tuber. The idea is akin to the error so firm.
ly held by many farmers, that wheat and
other grains will "run out" and that the
seed must be frequently changed We coin
eide rather with an old farmer Of our &C.
quaintance who has grown the old "tea
wheat on his farm for forty years, and grows
it now in as full perfection as ever, that the
" running out - of crops is due. like the
running out Of live stock, to ignorant or
careless treatment. OF course, if you run
out your Shorthorns or Merinos or Berkshires
in this way you must renew the stock, and
so with grain and root crops The old stand
ard potato Of our boyhood, known in Maine
as the " Philadelphia" is yet grown with as
much success in Pennsylvania as it was fifty
years ago.
But We are satisfied, further, that 4" run
out potato, lone that by bad culture has
ceased to produce profitable crops,) is not a
whit more liable to suffer from rot than most
productive and new variety, Bresee's Peer.
less fol instance. Every farmer knows, now, by
experience, that many of the very newest sorts,
renewed by seed from the wild plant are
very subject to disease This, with the other
facts stated above, has totally upset in our
mind, theory number one
I'd. A deficiency Of particular elements
OF plant food will not cause the potato to rot,
although it will prevent good yiald. The
plants will be small and the tubers few, but
they will not necessarily be diseased. On
the other hand, an abundant supply of all
the necessary elements, in form excluding
fermenting or stable manure, while it will
give strong growth ard ensure n large
crop, IciH not prevent rot from attacking the
plant and destroying part or even all of the
tubers. Ga the contrary there are yarie-
ties that may be grown on ground heavily
MANFRED with fresh stable manure, and will
yet be free from disease. Both Of these
points we have proved by many careful aud
repeated trials.
What then are the causes of the potato
disease? Well, when you can tell Us the
causes Of the epizootic, or of epidemcs of
measles, scarlet fever and cerebro-spinal
meningitis, perhaps We can tell you the
cause OF the potato rot 1t is easy to lay
one and all Of them to ozone or " cleo.
tricity, " or, still more vaguely, to atmos-
pheric causes but these are all too thin to
cover our real ignorance on the subject.
These remarks refer to what are called remote
causes, for the proximate cause of the potato
disease is demonstraby due to a microscopic
plant, which fastens itself first upon the foi-
age, and finally penetrates the stalks and the
tubers. And no doubt this plant thrves
best and does most injury in certain seasons,
notably those which are wet, with many
muggy days in August. But even under
such circumstances every variety is not af.
iected alike, and some not at all. We have
never seen the Garnet Chill injured materi.
ally by rust or rot in the worst seasons in
any SOIL or under any culture while some
sorts will rot badly under any conditions.
What are the remedies? We know Of no
way in which tender kinds easily affected
can be prevented from suffering We have
tried all plans, and have had to give up, beaten
1t is pity, for some Of the tenderest kinds
are among the best and most productive.
Some advise to avoid planting any but per-
fectly sound tubers, and this is a wise pre-.
caution, but as preventive Of disease it is
like trying to " dam up the waters of the
Nile with bulrushes," for the germs Of the
rust fill the atmosphere, like those of all
plants, and will fasten upon the
leaves Of your potato plants as the mould
germs tasten upon your bread, your cream,
DR. your cheese And you cannot protect
potato field from an evil that you cannot
protect the contents Of closed room from.
This rust and rot plant attacks the wild as
we'll as the cultivated potato, and Also in
favorable seasons, like the last, many other
1lants,-turnips, beets, carrots, onions &c.
What will you do then What zoe do is to
'lant tho healthiest productive sorts, manure
hem well, Cfor early potatoes with dung and
'lenty Of it, and for late ones with ashes,