Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-04-30
An Impromptu Farmers Talk About
Potatoes.

Inc MAJOR was tnere, and so was the
Deacon, and the Cap'n and A., b., and @.
The train was late, and consequently the
mail, and while we were waiting, what more
appropriate to chat about than those SUBJ
jects intimately connected with our calling ?
Surely nothing; and the ideas brought out
at this impromptu farmers meeting in a
casual conversation will serve to illustrate
the benefits resulting from frequent social
meetings among farmers. No one present
at this accidental club thought of dignifyiug
it as such, five except one whose record,
herewith appended, attests to his train Of
thought.
There's one thing, Major, yous right in
last spring, when you told me 1 seeded my
potatoes too heavy. My experience this
year,-and by the way, L have observed
more closely than has been my custom be-
fore-con6rms it in my mind, that the old
fashioned way of using fifteen to twenty
bushels Of seed to the acre, is all wrong. L
found on the part of my field planted after
had the talk with you'll knew my way was
right, but thought l would deviate a little,
just for the notion Of it, and see if there was
anything in what you'd told me,--that where
used less than half the amount of seed, the
yield was increased with fairer, and larger
proportion of good sized potatoes, than on the
part where more seed was used.
81 am glad friend c." quoth the Major,
"that my preaching has had the effect to
awaken one wrong doer. My idea on two
points in raising potatoes, from long prac-
tice, are pretty we'll confirmed as correct,
One is the saving of seed, aud the other the
amount to use. know it is the practice of
nearly all farmers, to let their potatoes lie
in the ground till the middle of October I;
long after the vines have become dead.
Now, my observation leads me to believe
that potatoes for seed should be dug early,
even while the vines are green. As a rule,
when the largest tubers begin to crack open
in boiling, generally towards the latter part
Of August, those intended for planting an
other year may be dug. My theory is this
Our corn and various grains that we use for
seed, we let stand till perfectly ripe and ma
ture. This is well but with tuberous root
ed plants, different course applies. A po-
tato separated from the vines while green
and growing vigorously, will retain its vigor
and perpetuate itself year after year without
deteriorating."
"But," interrupted the Deacon, "if we dig
our potatoes at the time you have indi-
Gated, we shall have a lot of small watery,
immature things, fit neither for the table OF
feeding"
"Well, this brings me to idea No. 2.
wouldn't use so much seed as to require u
very large lot to be dug. My theory is that
the first setting is the best, and will repro
duce the variety with less tendency to rot or
of running out,-but then the difference in
the yield, ordinarily, is much less than you
suppose. Use one-third, or perhaps one
fourth the seed-say five or six bushels to
the acre--and not a very large amount would
need to be dug, as you would say, prema
turely. Let them be placed In a cool, dark
place as soon as dug, aud in the spring cut
to single eyes, putting two in the hill"
That's sound doctrine" says the Oap'n,
"although I've been 10th to believe it but
if that isn't correct, how in creation do the
folks that buy these fancy kinds, at awful
fancy prices-twO or three dollars a pound
get such amazing crops ? Why, here's my
neighbor over here, got three pounds of q
new variety OF potatoes, and raised ten
bushels from it. That's two hundred pounds
| from one. | saw one bushel of them that
weighed sixty pounds, and only 6fty-iouI
potatoes"
"Now I'd like to know" says b., "what
you folks here think about using small po'
tatoes for seed Some people seem to think
and l see the Major does, that only fair siz
ed potatoes should be planted. Now I'm
going to take you on your one-eye theory
If you are going to cut them up so fine
isn't one eye as good as another What is
an eye any way? It's nothing more nor les
than a bud, a 'tater' vine in Statu quo, iii
embryo, presume he meant) and if it will
sprout and send up shoot, what more i
wanted Of it 2"
Several things are to be considered il
this connection" answers the Major; 81 pre-
sumo friend b. will admit that in budding
or engrafting fruit trees, all buds or scion
are not of equal value. The eye of the tu
Der and the bud of the fruit tree are alike
and yet unlike. They each contain, the ON
the vine, the other the twig IN embryo
as friend b. meant TO say-but If the bud o
scion is taken from unripe or unnatura
wood, it fails entirely or maintains feebl
sickly growth. Now the immature tube
corresponds to certain extent TO the uu
ripe wood both lack vitality aud conse
quently both fail to exhibit that exuberauc
Of growth which healthy maturity alway
imparts."
"But," says the Deacon, show will
work to cut potatoes SO 6ne, IT there happen
to be a prOtracted drought in the fore par
of the season We seem 10 ba esDeeiallv lia