Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-12-14
Experiments with Potatoes.

For several years we have conducted a
series of experiments on liberalization of the
potato. with view of determining some dis
puted points, and discovering the most profit
able modes of culture. and the following are
some of the results reached by these expert
msnts:
Ct and Uncut P0tdtOes The skin of the
potato is nearly impervious to moisture and
so long as ii remains entire. the water is re-
tanned within, and the tuber is n long time in
shriveling. As soon as cut, the moisture es-
capes rapidly IT, therefore. the ground is
dry and cloddy, and the time of planting late,
it is best to plant the potatoes whole. If cut
pieces are used as seed it will be found that
many of them dry up and fail to grow, and
the crop is broken by vacant spaces. By ear
ly planting, in rich and mellow ground the
moisture is retained in the cut pieces and all
grow freely; and the advantage derived from
cutting namely. fewer stalks and fewer and
larger potatoes, are secured without difficulty.
Large and Small PotdtOeS. Medium sized
and large potatoes always give n heavier crop
than quite small ones. when other controlling
circumstances are the same. The larger
amount of nutriment which the young shoots
derive from the tuber, give them an earlier
and more vigorous start yet, under proper
management, the difference is much less than
careless cultivation.
HHiHg.-A number of experiments have
been carried out for determining the compar-
alive advantages of killing up the earth about
the plants, (Which is nearly the universal
practice, and cultivating with fiat surface
The latter has invariably given the largest
crops. The percentage of loss varies with the
depth of the soil and the abruptness of the
killing. When done thoroughly, the loss is
about sixteen to eighteen per cent when
the killing is moderate it is correspondingly
less. The average from common practice, is
from twelve to fifteen per cent, and millions
of bushels are annually lost in this way
throughout the country. The rationale of
this result is, that when fresh earth is heaped
on the roots near the plants, they are buried
too deep while the ends of the roots are de-
nuded or torn. When cultivated fiat, all have
free and natural growth.
Depth Of Pldnting.-Po should not
be planted shallow. A deep soil, and moder.
ately deep planting, afford more security
against changes of moisture and dryness. We
find that when the planting is about five inch.
es deep, about ten per cent. more potatoes
are given than when planted only two or three
inches deep, and the result will vary much
with the depth and condition of the soil. and
the moisture and drouth of the season.
Change Of Seed.-The only distinct expert
ments under this head were the following
The Early Rose having diminished from it,
early abundant yield, seed was procured {
few years ago from neighborhood seventy
miles east. The crop from this seed wa
about ten per cent. more than from the ole
seed, planted side by side. The present yea,
quantity of seed of the Late Rose wa,
brought from sixty miles west, and planted
side by side with seed which we had RAISED
from Its first introduction. While rows from
the old seed gave each ten bushels from til,
row, the seed brought from distance yielded
over thirteen bushels from each row in boil
instances, with much uniformity in the sever
al rows. 1t is proper to add that in both cas-
es the places from which the seed was brough
are regarded as much better in soil for pota
toes than the ground on which the expert
ments We're made.-COuatry Gentleman