The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-01-10
From the Boston Globe.l
THE FARM-YARD CLUB OF GOTHAM
By DR.. George B. Loring

TwENTY-TnIRD MEETING-sUBJECT MARK
Ell GARDENING.
The spring was now advancing rapidly,
and the farmers Of lothian found them
selves obliged TO turn from the theory to
the active and vigorous practice of agricul-
ture. The best of them had followed the
advice of Mr.. Hopkins, and had hauled the
great manure heaps into the fields where
they were to be used before the frost had
begun to leave the ground. They had made
haste to collect the years supply of wood
while the snow lay deep in the forests; and
hardly had the banks melted from the walls
where they had been piled by the " intry
gales when the energetic husbandmen re-
laid and topped them wherever the frost
and the wandering hunters had thrown
them down. The farm work of lothian
was therefore well up and it was found
necessary to suspend the sessions of the
club during the active spring and summer
months. 1t was deemed best, however, to
have one more meeting before the final adj
ournment for the season, and an urgent
call was issued to assemble at the house of
the president, Mr.. Hopkins, for the pur-
pose of discussing The best mode of cultiva-
ting the potato, both as a garden and
field crop.
"The potato" said Mr.. Hopkins, after
having called the club to order, twill be
the topic of discussion this evening, and
shall be happy TO hear the views of the
gentlemen present, in addition to those
which they expressed at our last meeting"
"Mr. President" said Peter llsley, 81
have tried for the last few years to raise
early potatoes for the market, and have had
poor success. The crop is so uncertain
that cannot depend upon it at all. One
year | used ali the barnyard manure had
upon large field near my barn, which
planted early in the season, expecting to
reap large reward. The crop started well
enough, but the season was warm and wet,
and ! lost my crop entirely. Not bushel
of potatoes did get from that field and
had not raised a good supply of fiat tur-
nips after the potato tops had been remov-
ed | should have lost my manure, my labor
and the use of my land for that year at
least. | have never dared to run such
risk since am afraid the day of potatoes
as field crop in this region is over. What
| raise for sale now | get from small
patch of ground, the cultivation of which
| can afford to lose If the crop fails.
have no doubt we may be benefited by
careful selection of manure and a frequent
change of seed. But find it poor business
to spend my time over crop which at best
is small, and which belongs to the things
that are dying out Sickness and cid
age are bad enough among ourselves but
when it comes to fruits and vegetables |
think we want youth and vigor. If any
section of the country is suited to potato
growing, ! move that that section have the
privilege and the profit, if there is any.
used 10 rank my potato crop as the first in
value on my farm now | rank it last.
Some years it pays and some years it does
not. | can count it in with other crops,
but can't depend upon it for living
81 don't blame Peter llsley for being dis
couraged about potatoes said Sam Baker.
81 have had hard time with them myself,
but can't help raising them IN spite of
all my trouble, and | think we can do
pretty well with them still, if we will be
careful in choosing seed, soil and manure.
| find the soil has a great effect on them,
| have raised tirst-rale Jackson whites in
one field and most miserable ones in another
on my farm the same season. In old times
it seemed as if all kinds of land would pro-
duce potatoes now, 1t seems as II hardly
any land would do it, So we must make
our choice of soils. Potatoes grow rank
and coarse in heavy soils, and they grow
ecabby in gravelly soils, especially II you
use green manure. In dry, fresh and fine
loan, moderately rich, they will grow well.
What DR.. Parker said at our last meeting
about the manure tit for potatoes is true.
| plant my potatoes in hills, just as my
father did. think potato needs good'
loose, well-pulverized bed of earth to grow
in. | shall never forget how, when was
a boy, we prepared our SOIL with good
ploughing, fixed the hills three feet and
half apart, put in plenty of light, rotten
manure, hQed and cultivated twice, and
made of each hill good warm bed, in
which the potatoes could grow without be-
ing troubled. And such hills Why, |
have seen four of them fill bushel basket.
| / don't know as ii was the hills but 1t was
omething, and / don't find such great