The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-10
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growth or even chance for it, to my mind,
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must confess that like the old-fashioned
hill, though nobody uses it now-and
everybody says you can get larger crop
from drills. think, as those who have
spoken before me dc, that much depends on
soil and manure in raising this crop. But
am sure that great deal also depends or
the choice of seed. l change my seed of
ten am obliged to do this. Potatoes
grow smaller in size and less in crops in
this region, unless you renew your seed by
getting that which grows where the 20 alto
is comparatively strong and healthy If |
have good variety hich originated in the
new lands Of Maine and it holds its own
then | get my seed each year from the
| farmers in that state. Then | am very
careful what | get and how plant it. 1
avoid an overgrown potato--une which is
course and heavy, as overgrnwn ones are
apt TO be, on the ground that it is not in a
vigorous and healthy condition avoid
small potato also, on the ground that it is
immature and il not 6 to continue Inc spe-
cies. | select medium-sized. firm, we'll
shaped potato, with a smooth, healthy skin,
and with substance which indicates a good
| quality. | would have every seed potato
the best cooking potato ! eau find in my
heap. 1t is seldom that | cut potato when
| have selected it as have Just described.
| may be mistaken. but | think the vigor
of our potato crop has been greatly reduced
| by the habit of cutting out each eye and
| planting it separately, or by qlartering the
potato and planting the quarters 1 have
found the crop degenerating most rapidly
in those sections where the poverty of the
people induced them to plant The eyes alone
and use the balance of the tnbers for food.
And am not alone in This observation. 1t
is unreasonable to suppose that nature com
| bined IN each individual potato all the ele-
mcnts necessary for reproduction ard that
all the eyes belonging to each tuber are re-
| quired to- make healthy and strong aud
fruitful cluster Of plants This is my idea
at any rate. And | am opposed, therefore,
to gougiug ont the eyes Of n potato for
the purpose Of extending Its supply of seed
and with the expectation that the vigor of
the potato will not he jst by the process.
| do not doubt that the potato crop is sub
ject to a destructive disease. / know it is,
but feel confident that it would have re-
tanned its vigor to this day had proper care
been taken in selecting healthy seed and in
placing il in a natural condition. with all
its powers unimplired, into soil well adapt
ed to it and well prepared with plough and
manure. 1t was found long ago that you
could not raise strong and vigorous clus-
ter of vines from the crown OF the potato
with its numerous eyes. Aud believe it
would also be found, if proper observation
were made, that the oyt scattered over the
body of the tubtr would produce more
fruitful vines if regulated by the force
which lies in the crown, that part which
has been considered comparatively useles.
do not know what the experience of 9th
ers may be, but this is mine so far as the
selection and planting of the seed is con-
cerned."
ut is very curious and interesting" said
Mr. Howe "to see how man struggles to
restore what is decaying, and how he
values that which he is most in danger of
losing. The wandering lamb always re-
ceives more care and more esteem than
the ninety and nine which went not as
tray So while we have every variety of
root CROP and soils adapted to each, and
can have an abundance of turnips and beets
and carrots and parsnips, all with compar-
atively easy cultivation, we struggle for the
potato still; and | must confess that the
discussion which this characterization plant
has brought out, is, after all, the most in
teresting we have had In offering any
contribution to the debate, recall state
ment made not many years ago by care
full and sensible observer. who made inves-
legations into the agriculture of one of the
best counties of this commonwealth. He
says in that portion of his report which
treats of the potato crop:
AS it respects the cultivation of this very
useful and profitable root many expert
ments have beer MADE and various sugges-
lions offered. The experiment made by a
member of the committee is TO seed with
whole potatoes instead Of cuttings, and the
result was a large per cent. above those
that were cut-rows standing side by side
in the same field. Another member has
also tried the experiment, only, however,
to limited extent, by cu'ting off the seed
end, or the part having the greater number
of eyes, and planting the other section
that is the smooth part-and found these
potatoes Superior both in quantity and quail
ity, the cul ivalion hoing tie same. d ubl-
less the best favored potatoes are grown
upon I'D pasture land. or lands thar have
never been cultivated, using Il light dress
ing of plaster. The thmaie, 1l'o, has much
to do with the potato crop Probably the
potatoes grown in the north If Ireland. are
Superior to those raised in any other quar-
ter of the world, while tie same crop cul-
tivated n France or Spain is very insipid.
The northern counties Of Scotland. II is
said, produce this crop tn much greaierper-
feclion than the south OF England and
Wales So also those grown in Malue.
New Hampshire and Vermont are preferred
to those cultivated as far south rs forty de-
grees north latitude, or in Massachusetts
even, all of which may be attributed to
| bttf nf 4 Hence