Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-05-02
tiyate as long as it can be done without

treatment as this, think we might
expect good growth Of
potatoes on No. S. And even if is
plowed up without manure, and is then
top-dressed with nitrate Of soda, as in
the other case, 1 should expect good
growth. The decaying sod will furnish
certain amount of poor manure, and
the nitrate of soda will help to make it
rich. n ir.
There may be some soils SO poor that
it would be necessary to apply potash
and phosphoric acid. But l do not
think it is necessary on my farm---or on
any otherwhere you have a good sod
to turn under on light land.
why do you say on light land any
more than on heavy land" asked
Charley. Because" said the Deacon,
1.-THE sod on the heavy land will not rot
soon enough to do the potatoes much
good; while ON sandy land, if not plowed
too deep, and the season is warm and
moist, and the field is well cultivated,
the sod will rot rapidly
''That is it exactly" said I ''and this
decomposing sod will furnish the pota-
toes will all the elements Of plant-food
potash and phosphoric acid included,
but as rule it will not furnish nitrogen
enough for maxium crop of potatoes,
and hence it is well to use some manure
that will furnish it at the cheapest rate,
and IN the most available condition.
You will not persuade many far
mcrs," said the Deacon, "to adopt such
a system. $50 much the better for
those who do take pains to raise good
crops" said 1, though am ashamed OF
the remark.
The Colorado beetle will compel us
to manure better, and thus secure a
greater growth of vines. We have to
use just as much Paris green, and spend
just as much labor in applying it, on
an acre of potatoes yielding IS bushels
per acre, as on an acre yielding $50 to
200 bushels per acre, and it is more
work to cultivate and keep the poor
crop clean, than the good crop, and al
most as much labor to dig and gather
an acre of small potatoes, as an acre OF
large ones, and not half so pleasant.
Last year planted Is acres of pota-
toes of different varieties, including
Early Rose, Early Vermont, Snowflake,
Brownell's Beauty, Compton's Sur
prise, Genesee King, Jones No. 4, and
Thorburn's Late Rose. And the
Deacon in the adjoining field planted
Peachblow, Peerless, and Late Rose.
He had fair crop of Late Rose, but
the Peachblow and Peerless were hardly
worth digging.
In my field the Late Rose gave the
largest yield, but the Early Vermont,
on the whole, was the most satisfac-
tory crop. The potatoes were more
uniform in size. We had three acres,
yielding 1875 bushels per acre. The
Late Rose had not come to maturity,
when the drouth and the second crop of
bugs struck them, and consequently we
had a great many small potatoes.
Snowflake did tolerably well, but not as
well as the Vermonts. But it is not
worth while talking about the varieties
that did well last year. 1t was an ex-
ceptionally bad season. As rule, the
only good potatoes we had were the
earliest varieties-and this simply be-
cause they had nearly got their growth,
before they were seriously injured by
the droutn and the bugs. The Early
Vermont, planted side by side with the
Early Rose on the same day, came up
earlier, and made a more vigorous
growth. The plants were stronger,
larger, and more robust. L do not at
tribute this wholly to the variety. The
Early Rose has been grown on this
farm for several years, without a
change Of seed. The Vermonts are
comparatively new. Had we got Early
Rose from distance, instead of plant
ing our homegrown seed, the plants
might have been as vigorous as those Of
the Early Vermont.
st is not clear to my mind" said
the Doctor, ''that a mere change OF
seed is so important. 1 know that the
New Jersey potato-growers often send
here for their seed, and we sometimes
send to New Jersey for our seed; but
L have never yet seen any positive
evidence that anything is gained by it.
And then," continued the Doctor, zone
farmer thinks it very important to plant
large potatoes, and another thinks
small ones just as good---and the re-
suits of careful experiments are quoted
to sustain both opinions"
;"The thing is certain" said the
Deacon, 1--WE shall have to plant small
potatoes this year. The spring of 1875
potatoes were scarce and high, and a
great many small potatoes were planted
---some not larger than marbles and
yet we never had such great potato
crop. The next spring potatoes were
not worth marketing, and we planted
the best and largest---and never had
"a worse crop. Andso it is evident that
the character of the season has more
to do with the result, than the size of
the Seed"
The best crop of potatoes 4, ever
raisedon this farm happened to be from
small seed. But it was a bit of prime
light land, in high condition. The root
Of the plant penetrated into the fine.
mellow soil, and needed little nutrinent