River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-05-31
Farm, House and Garden.
Potato FERTILIZERS.

( 4 correspondent of the New York
Tribune writes as follows:
" Having boys enough to fight bugs, |
am anxious TO plant quite large piece
= potatoes this year, and should like the
experience of pptato growers on the fol-
lowing questions. | want to manure in
the hill, and wish to use unleached ashes,
and how are they applied-a pint (as that
/ is about the quality | desire to use to
the hill on the seed after having been
dropped, or on top of the ground after
planting, or ON the tops of the potatoes
when they are three or four inches high!
The same question exactly in regard to
night soil and barnyard manure. | can
/ get plenty of night soil in the village, and
am not afraid TO handle it as have drawn
tons of it on the roots of my apple trees.
can get plenty of unleached wood ashes
at eight cents per bushel, and barnyard
manure at fifty cents per load; night soil
of course costs nothing but the drawing,
and plenty of it to be had at that
| draw it in a tight wagon box, use a
dipper similar to that used in potash
mandatory, long-handled shovel, or
short shovel, according to to the consist
ency of the goods to be handled. Soil a
clay loan. Please give me some prac-
teal plan for large field. Have read
about the Minnesota man who used peck
of unleached ashes to the hill of potatoes,
and although he gave us a column or
two of reading in regard to how many
bushels he got from pound of seed, he
did not tell us how he applied his fertil
izer."
10, mill find aahac
ccllent for potatoes, but if he plants, as |
do, two feet nine inches apart each way,
his "pint to hill will require ninety
bushels to the acre. When | have APP
piled that amount drove the load across
the field, and had two men throwing it
out broadcast from each side of the
wagon. But good handful to the hill
will take ten or twelve bushels.
In applying ashes or hen manure, or
any such special fertilizer, | would furrow
out one ftlrrow with a shovel pillow. three
or four inches deep, drop manure in it,
let a man follow with potato hook and
mix it up with the soil and brush little
soil upon it. and another come after and
cover spot down. Another good way,
and easier done, is TO drop the fertilizer
on the hill just as the plants are breaking
through, then cover with shovel pillow
as in my potato management. But as a
practical plan for a large field, | should
compost the horse manure and night soil
by putting down first layer of manure,
then one Of night soil, next one Of muck
or coal ashes, and continue these alternate
courses for all the heap, and would be sure
to sprinkle on few bushels of plaster to
each course; then when it was in good
heat pitch it over, mixing it well, and
after it got to heating again would draw
and spread from the wagon upon plowed
land, then cultivate and drag in we'll
This | should think the most practical
way of using such manures where they
can be obtained 50 easily and cheaply AS
he reports. In answer to an Illinois in
quircr, l would say that in potatoes for
market | have realized the best returns
from Peerless. do not know about
" charcoal for potatoes" but would use
ashes instead, "a good handful on top OF
the hill after planting, and as soon as
they begin to come up cover ashes and
hill with fresh earth. This requires about
seven bushels Early Rose and nine or ten
bushels Peerless.-Hen1y Tres, IN Ne,c
York Tribune.