The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-04-16
Profitable Potato Growing.

Gfll part VI NOTION SOillly, NluSS., Il lew
farmers who had been signally successful
with the potato as staple crop for several
years past, we made inquiry OF them as to
their methods of growing and marketing
this Indispensable esculent.
Mr.. Amos ?. Woodward, of Franklin
has tor several years raised annually about
a thousand bushels of marketable pota-
toes, mostly of the Early Rose variety
with which he has been highly successful
He informs us that he attributes his success
principally to high manuring, and to a
suitable soil. He thinks his soil is pecu-
liarly adapted to the potato, being rather
light and sandy. Thinks q warm soil
much better for the early varieties than 4
cold clay; besides it is safer to crowd such
land with fertilizers, than if ii We're cold
and heavy. He has used large quantities
Of barn yard manure, ploughed in and
puts guano and plaster in the HILL Be
lieves plaster is very valuable to use in
connection with guano or other nitrogen
Gus manures for holding the ammonia till
il can be taken up by the growing crop
His practice was to crowd the crop forward
for the earliest market, and during the
early part of July his team might be seen
daily, hauling the crop to stores and
market places in all the adjoining villages
He informed us that. one wear, he did not
take of 4 single load without hearing
some one make the remarl, that this is
the handsomest load of potatoes | ever
saw We are sorry to learn that circum-
stances over which he could have no con-
troll have made il necessary for HIM TO
give up the large run of trade he had ac
quired
Mr. George :. Hancock, in the adjoining
town of Wrentham, has also been very
successful in this branch Of farming, and
IN reply to our inquiry, sends us the fol-
lowing reply: TO prepare for 4 crop OF
potatoes. turn over in July, piece of
green sWard, after taking off Il crop of
hay. Then apply liberal dressing of
barn yard manure, which is worked
thoroughly into the sell by 4 pair of horses
and Il Shares harrow After getting it
fine, mellow and smooth SOW to hungarian
grass, which yields two OF more tons of
good fodder per acre. The next spring
after applying about five cords of strong.
barn cellar manure made from cattle which
are literally fed on good hay and grain
the land is again ploughed. cross ploughed
and narrowed till it is in the very best
the old sWard being now entirely rotten
| make the furrows three feet apart
using the middle tooth of my horse hoe,
which works like Il small, Double mould
board plough throwing the dirt both
ways. In the burrows | put at the rate Of
800 pounds of the best guano | can buy.
and equal quantity Of plaster of Paris.
My seed potatoes are selected with care,
using only large, smooth tubers, and are
cut several weeks previous to planting,
and busted over with plaster. One OF two
eyes only are allowed to piece, and but
one piece is put in place, about eighteen
to twenty-tour inches apart. After the
potatoes and fertilizers are in place, the
horse and plough are made to do all the
covering Can cover an acre in about an
hour and halt.
\ reversible horse-hoc, which will turn
the dirt either way, is run through the
rows every ten days, or ottener, whether
the potatoes are up or not till some time
lii June, when the field is worked out
once with hand hoes. Do not believe in
raising weeds in the same field with pota-
toes, one crop at II time. if we'll cultivate
ed being enough. My Early Rose of the
first planting are dug in July, and sold
Immediately and the ground planted with
fodder corn for late talluSe Corn planted
in this way last year, on the 10Th of July,
gave me Il very good paying crop, just
when most needed it. | sold my early
potatoes last year at from 81 80 to $500
per bushel, and put the money into West
ern corn at siXty-tiye cents per bushel,
which think was far better than growing
ii myself"
Both Mr. Hancock and AIr Woodward
believe in changing seed frequently Mr..
Woodward is not 50 particular about
bringing it a long distance as TO get il
from land OF a different character from
his own. As for instance, his land is
sandy, and he would get his seed from
farms having a preponderance of clay,
while if his own soil were clayey. he
would buy seed from a sandy farm.
Whether this is the true explanation Of
the common belief that seed should be
changed often, or whether it is whim
only, we are unable to decide We have
raised the Early Rose potato ever since
they were first introduced, having paid
one dollar for the first pound brought by
mail into our town, and have used our
own seed only, during the whole time:
ond can say that our seed is better now
than at first
We We're little disappointed, the first
year or two, because we found many hills
producing only small potatoes, and the
vines OF these hills We're small and the
leaves curly, but by carefully selecting
only large, smooth tuDers, we have freed
them from this detect, Our last crop was
the best we ever raised of this variety
We believe this question of changing seed
needs further experiment TO settle it fully
in the minds of the public. New Eng
land Farmer.