Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-24
a NEW anHn mIEE.

concerning some OF the new Industries
developing and enlarging in our State,
adding to the variety Of the produce Of
our soil and opening new sources OF
trade. To-day we propose to add some
thing more. We shall be little more
explicit and minute, snd we cannOthelp
believing that the conclusions toward
which our remarks point will possess all
the force of demonstration. We can all
remember when the Irish potato was 8
very insignificant affair among the farm
products Of this region. II it was not
forgotten, and there was time to do it, 8
little space in the "truck-patch' or in
the spacious garden was carelessly
plowed and furrowed, the small potatoes,
not fit for table, gathered up and hastily
flung into the burrows, then slOvenly
plowed once or twice, and perhaps few
bushels of this noble asnnlent Of diminn-
tive size and wretched quality would be
found in the patch, II the trouble were
taken to search for them. The
idea that this crop could be cultivated
at profit so that its product might be
sent to the market as handsome addi-
ton to the annual revenue Of the farmer
would have seemed ridiculous. Now a
remarkable change is beginning. Wessy
beginning, for we believe what we see
now is only small beginning Of what
we shall ere long see grow into magnif-
cent proportions. The few hundreds Of
barrels Of potatoes that We saw this year
preparing for shipment one the sidewalks
Of Front street, in few years will be
reckoned by scores of thousands. See
If our conjectures are not correct. Early
in June our crop begins to come to mar
ket. The crop in the northwestern
States does not begin to appear till Au-
gust, and is never fully matured before
September. Here are at least two or
three months wherein we could have
the monopoly OF the potato market in
all the cities Of the northwest. Chicago
and st. Louis are each claiming half
million, and the smaller cities to be sup
piled will easily supply another million.
There is not much danger Of glut Of
early potatoes. Now see what the
farmer here in Tennessee can do. In
February, or early in March, while it
is yet too early to think of corn or cot
ton, the ground can be well prepared
and the potatoes planted. II the ground
is we'll prepared two subsequent plow-
ings will make the crop. For these the
double-shovel or cultivator will be best.
II the soil is good, or is treated with ap.
propriate fertilizers, an acre will pro-
duce easily from one hundred to three
hundred bushels Of potatoes. 1t is not
likely that we should see here those ex-
traordinary yields Of eight hundred or a
thousand bushels, which are not very
uncommon in Colorado and some other
northern localities. Take the lowest es-
innate, one hundred bushels; we who
buy here always think ourselves lucky
if we get potatoes for dollar bushel;
of this one hundred, seventy-fve from
every acre might easily be sent to mar-
ket. 1t is o lucky hit if an acre in cot
ton makes as good a showing as this,
and we venture to say that an acre in
cotton requires four times the labor
and about the same ratio OF
time. We do not say every farmer
should abandon all other crops and turn
his whole attention to potatoes. This
would be as foolish as the practice hith-
erto too prevalent of sacrificing all
other interests to cotton. We wish to
make known to our farmers how they
can add q very handsome increase to
their revenues. We anticipate a vlgor-
GUS and rapid growth of this new indus
try. We shall see our farmers studying
the potato, and giving as much care to
the proper methods Of its cultivation as
they now do to cotton. We shall see
them carefully selecting and preserving
their seed, and not fiud whole neighbor-
hoods las we sometimes now do) open
ing only holes Of rottenness in the
spring. We do not mean to be wild and
enthusiastic, but we fully believe that
within ten years the money that Ten
nessee will receive for her early potatoes
from the northwestern cities will be
counted by millions. We did intend to
add something concerning fruit, but we
reserve this for future article.