The Portland daily press., 1877-05-01
THE PRESS.
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
Planting Early Potatoes.

In many country towns during the present
season, the unusual sight has been presented
OF farmers carrying loads of potatoes to mar
ket, and after making an exchange for corn,
returning home with larger number of bush
els than they had carried. This equality OF
values has resulted largely from the drouth OF
last summer, which curtailed the crop of po-
tatoes in many localities. Probably prices
will remain high until all the. seed required
has been planted, both on account of the
large amount of previous sales for consump-
tion and for seed, and the actual smallness of
the crop.
Under ordinary circumstances we might
say that the present high prices will stimu-
late everybody to plant this spring, and there
fore with large area devoted to the crop it
will be unusually large, and in the fall the
market will be glutted. We think, however,
that the widespread apprehension of injury
from the Colorado beetle will deter many
from the field cultivation of the potato. If
therefore it is mainly to be raised in gardens,
where it can be watched and preserved from
destruction, and on small scale for domestic
use, the next crop will be small and the mar
ket price correspondingly high. And yet,
while there are the reasonable probabilities as
we regard them, there are multitude of con-
tingencies such as will readily occur to every
one, which may disturb all persons calcula-
lions.
We advise our readers while keeping in
mind fta poccihi1itu re on orati NO
yield to devote the full average acreage to
this crop, regardless of drouth or insects.
We would not recommend the cultivation of
large areas and therefore small returns, but
rather compact fields in good condition.
which can be easily cared for, and where the
insect harvest can be readily gathered and
destroyed. 1t may be safe to plan. on land
previously enriched from the barn, but a
large application of such dressing the present
year should be avoided-as under certain cir
cumstances tendency to decay will be devel-
oped. On the greensward and in gardens,
with the present prospect, we should rather
some approved commercial fertilizer, or ashes,
lime, plaster and salt, as the condition Of the
of the soil may demand. F..
We concur in the very general advice given
by the agricultural press, to plant early.
This course we should not recommend usu-
ally, as we think it better for potatoes to ripen
in the autumn rather than earlier, when in
tended for winter use. Early planted pota-
toes will generally mature before they are
seriously injured by the bug or the drouth;
and thus they are saved either for the sum-
mer market or home consumption. 1t is GER
tainly better to have crop Of ripe potatoes
even in July or August than to find only a
barren harvest month later.
As the whole advantage of early planting
is to secure crop, it is well to make 1t
doubly sure by selecting the early varieties.
As no variety has yet been found for sum-
mer and winter use to surpass the Early
Rose, and as it still is the market favorite,
we recommend its general use. The Alpha,
although not so well known and widely in
troduced, may surpass the Early Rose a few
days in torwardness; and it is said that it
may be kept in as sound condition through
the winter. The Snowflake and Early Yer
mont have merits which have commended
them to large number of farmers and gar
deners.
AS to modes of planting and cultivating,
we have only to repeat former suggestions
and advice-we prefer the drill system, as it
secures greater uniformity and regularity,
and lessons the amount of hand labor re-
quired. By its use, the plow VII perform
all the work needed, fnr3wing, covering.
cultivating and digging. While there seems
to be no positive and definite rule for seeding,
= s,aAh - e great amount of experiment and
observation apparently should have estab-
lshed, it is always safe to plant healthy po-
tatoes of medium size, and yet we should
not refrain from the use of eyes, and parings
even, when scarcity of seed prevailed.
Although the results OF experiments would
seem to indicate that the shoots from the
seed end of potato start earlier, and per-
haps bring its roots to earlier maturity than
from the eyes; yet usually the potatoes from
such a source are inferior in size and quality.
The forwardness of the season may lead
to premature planting-some fplots were
planted by the middle of the month-but on
suitable ground the potato will endure con-
siderable exposure. There may be a check
in the coming on of the seedtime, yet our
advice is, plant about the usual breadth, and
plant early, and choose the early varieties.
Plain.OmeIet.
Beat very thoroughly the yolks of five eggs,
add one dessertspoonful of -four rubbed smooth
in two-thirds of a cup of milk, salt and pepper
to taste, and add piece of butter as large as a
hickory nut; beat the whites of the eggs to a
stiff froth, pour tie mixture into the froth, and,
without stirring, pour into hot, buttered
omeletpan or deep frying-pan. Cook on top
of the range for abont five minutes over hot
tire; then set pan and all into hot oven and
brown the top nicely. Tho omelet will be from
two to three inches thick, and light as foam.
Three eggs and one-half cop of milk will make
an omelet large enough for breakfast foE four
persons.
REAT. ESNATE