The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-05-16
Killing Potatoes.

MUCH he's been published within a
few years on the subject of killing pota-
toes. and by some the flat-culture sys-
tenn has been highly recommended. At
one time the arguments brought out in
its favor were SO clear that expert
mented on the system, and the result
was a very lean harvest of small pota-
toes. have no doubt, however, of the
sincerity of those who recommend that
mode Of culture, which probably has
been successful under the circumstances
by which they were favored. But in
farming, as in medicine, there are no
fixed and positive rules of practice. In
medicine, the constitution. habits and
all other peculiarities are to be under
stood in order to apply safe and eff
Gent remedies. So in farming, the
nature and quality of soil. and other
conditions, must be understood in order
to insure successful practice. When the
potato rot first appeared in this country,
thirty-five years ago, it was soon dis
covered that the vines were first at
tackled on low grounds, subject to fogs,
and that the disease was worse on stiff,
clammy soils, enriched by fermenting
manures. This induced farmers to
plant on lands high and dry (if the soil
was very sandy, so much the better), and
to use manures cooling in their nature.
The result was q saving of the crop un-
der such management; while where
the older system of planting lower
fields of more compact soil, and feeding
with heating manures was continued, a
failure from rot was the general cOnse-
quence.
Here was a happy variation of re-
suits brought about by variation of
culture, and we have no reason to sup
pose but that fiat culture of potatoes,
under some circumstances, may be sue
cessful. Admitting this to be so, we
should select sandy or very porous land
IS the field on which to try this mode
of culture; while on tenacious, clay
ey soil, or stiff, loamy one, that re-
quires much working to keep it in a
friable condition, should continue the
old system of blowing out, pu.verizing
the soil, and killing up, for the follow
ing reason: Where such soils are Hat
cultured, they will become compact by
the rains and by the atmosphere, so
that they become impermeable to the
influence of rain and air-two valuable
elements of growth-consequently the
size of the potato is diminished, and its
quality impaired, by its being deprived
Of two essentials of healthy growth.
Ireland, with soil moistened by the
saline breezes of the sea, is famous for
potato-growing; and her stalwart sons
who come to America are uniformly
successful in its culture here, and often
raise fine crops of potatoes under most
unfavorable circumstances. What their
practice may be in other localities,
am not informed; but here, where they
form numerous class, their uniform
practice is to hill largely, or if they
plant in drills, to bring the earth into
ridges along the growing crop, and
their crops are large.
Just when to form the hill is an i'm
portant consideration in securing a
crop, ami is better done after a rain
than when the ground is very dry; fol
by hoeing in moisture, a supply is sc.
cured to counteract the effect Of dry
! weather. Cor. Country Ge,stlensan.