Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-09-04

Only three or four small potatoes
These hills were throu shout the season later and
less vigorous In their growth than those cut in the
dnary manner.
Except as noted, one row Of each kind
was planted, containing 70 hills, and the re.
suit presented rs if by the acre.
The cuttings of the first nine rolled in
plaster and in the remaining rows, with the
exception of No. 10, about a tablespoonful
of plaster was thrown upon the potato in
the hill previous to covering. 1t was cal
culated to make them all uniform in this re-
spect. The culture was ordinary field cu.
ture.
At harvest time, in No. l, planted with
one eye to piece, several hills had only one
good sized potato, several only two, and
very lew had three. In this row there were
only three or four small potatoes. The dif-
ference in yield, as presented in Nos | and
2, between one and two single eyes in hill,
is 60 bushels. Comparison between Nos 3
and 1, having two eyes to piece and one or
two pieces in hill, shows difference in
favor Of the latter of M bushels. Between
Nos. and q, having three eyes to a piece
and one and two pieces 10 hill, tho differ.
ence in favor of the stronger seeding is $50
bushels. The difference in Nos. and s,
with four eyes to piece, is in favor Of No.
8 by 65i bushels; while between this and
No Q, with only one piece in a hill, is n
falling off of 81 bushels.
Concerning No Q, care was taken that no
piece should be planted having more than
five eyes, and in my memorandum, at the
time Of planting | find this note RE
quiring much care in cutting, and but few Of
the seed ends left in
The largest yield was that of No. 10, land
it | remember rightly no plaster was put in
these hills,) $40 bushels requiring 43i bush.
els Of seed. Between Nos. 10 and II the
potatoes were equal in size, but the latter
yielded 66 bushels less per acre. Again,
simply difference in cutting seed shows
between Nos IL and l3 an increased yield
of 20 bushels in No. l3, with only an in-
crease Of j bushels Of seed while too
much cutting, as in No. IA, shows dimin.
ished yield Of 20 bushels as compared with
No. l3.
The second largest yield, No. n, shows
an undue proportion Of small potatoes, 70i
bushels. This was doubtless owing to the
fact that each eye grew independently, and
in many of the'hills there were Is or 20
different stalks.
Again, the difference in favor Of stronger
seeding is plainly marked in Nos 10 and 20,
with small undeveloped tubers cut in two
and planted one and two pieces in a hill, in
favor Of the latter by so l-5 bushels.
Is the seed end better than the stem end
for planting? If a potato is planted whole,
the eyes on the seed end are those mainly
which send forth shoots the large proportion
remaining dormant; but the cut potato, and
those eyes which in the uncut tuber do not
germinate, send forth shoots, and are equally
healthy and prolific. In comparison OF Nos.
10 and II, which were the same potatoes
except that the seed and stem ends were
planted in rows by themselves, the latter
shows nearly double the weight of seed used,
aud an increased yield of 800 bushels.
ln Nos. Fl and % large proportion Of
missing hills is shown. From each potato
was cut out, with sharp pointed knife, ov-
cry eye or indication of an eye, which could
bo seen without the aid of a nagnifying
glass. As general rule these potatoes came
up slowly, some not making thOr appear
anee till the latter part of July; and, con-
sidering the disadvantages under which they
grew, and the number Of missing hills, the
average yield is quite large. do not pre-
tend to affirm that this system Of treatment
is favorable to prolific yield, but ono Of
these hills contained S3 potatoes, large aud
small, aud the largest one would weigh
II pounds
In seasons of great scarcity with the poor
the inside OF the potato may be eaten, and
if pared thicky, the parings planted, But
the practice should not be commended, as
the result in No. 25 evidently shows that by
this process the vitality of the tuber is im-
paired.
My universal practice, for field culture
has been to select medium sized but we'll de-
veloped tubers, and il not too large, plant
them whole; otherwise, cut them engthwise
into two, and rarely into three pieces. The
general practice in this locality is what may
be termed surface culture. The seed bed il
we'll prepared, the ground marked off with Q
horse.markcr, and the potatoes pressed into
the ground with the foot, aud covered with
the hoe. As soon as they are up sufficiently