The Portland daily press., 1879-05-06
AGRICULTURAL.
Potatoes and the Potato Rot.

largely by rot. But 1t is question whether
the season was alone to blame. 1t is the
opinion of many that potatoes deteriorate in
time and thus become more liable to disease.
The Early Rose, long a favorite here, and
Wnlcn 10 day has the first place in the mar
ket, was more affected by rot last season than
other varieties planted in the same soil and
under the same conditions. The potato
crop is an important one, commanding ready
cash, and usually remunerative prices, and
every precaution should be taken TO guard
against its failure.
A correspondent of the Neee England
Farmer, writing from Vermont, expresses
the opinion that potatoes do not run out,
although 1t is pretty we'll established that
they do, in common with other vegetables,
unless they are carefully cultivated, as may
be the case in Vermont. OF the Early Rose
this correspondent says:
Zone correspondent inquiries If the Early
Rose are not running out. l guess not,
have seen no difference in quantity or quail
ty. Vermont farmers plant the kind OF pota-
toes that are most popular in the market. 1t
is not a question whether the Early Rose
shall be planted but whether we shall plant
some early kind altogether and fight the bee
tie less time But our late potatoes yield a
third more on the same soil, and the Rose do
not bring enough more to remedy the diff
Guilty. l presume we shall fight the beetles
through the season, and raise the late pota-
toes. Let those cultivate the Early Rose
who are contented to do so, but it will never
yield as some late varieties do.'
Washington correspondent of the Chca-
go Times gives in detail, as follows his meth
Cd Of cultivating the potato:
Early in the spring took one bushel of
medium sized tubers, cut them in as many
pieces as there were eyes, letting them re-
main to dry for several weeks. On the LIST of
May planted them, putting one eve in a
nil, which were eighteen inches apart, the
rows being three feet from each other"
By cutting potatoes into as many pieces as
there eyes and putting only one piece in
hill, the bills being of the distance apart l
have described, one bushel OF seed may fur
nish seed for one-third of an acre of land.
With the right kind of seed and suitable soil
culture the yield may be as in my case, one
hundred and sixty-sx bushels. The number
reyes In apotato will vary from twenty-four
to forty. Potatoes intended for seed should
be kept dry till the time of planting SO as to
prevent sproEting. / raised my crop on black
lowIand soil. The vines were two feet high
and very rank. / gave the crop no extraor-
binary culture. The ground. was twice worked
with hoe and the bugs were kept from do
ing injury to the vines"
- THE BEAUTY OF HEBRON POTATOES.
Mention was made in the journal last fall
of a new potato sent out by the Agricultural
Department, which, planted here that sea-
son, proved to be earlier than the Early Rose,
and fully equal if not superior to that well
known potato. This year 1t is generally
commended by seedsmen. One says it Is
"the best early yet introduced" and else
where describes it as follows:
''This, the most valuable of all potatoes,
has exceeded our most sanguine expecta-
tions, and of all who have tried it. The
plants appear above ground very shortly
after planting, and from that time continue
to grow with great rapidity, outstripping all
other varieties in strength of growth and
iuxuriance Of foliage. On this account it will
be understood, they withstand better the
ravages of the Colorado potato beetle than
any other potato yet brought before the pub
lie. The tubers, shaped like those of the
Early Rose, are very smooth, slightly tinged
with pink around the eyes, but attain pure
white color during the winter. Their yield
is really enormous. The .ubers lying closely
together in the hills the labor OF digging
them is but slight. In point OF earliness it
may be ranked as ripening at least twelve
days earlier than the Snowflake, and no less
than week ahead of the Early Rose. For
culinary purposes its mealy qualities and
richness and delicacy of flavor give it prece-
dence before all other varieties. Contrary to
what is usually the case in all large speci-
mems of potatoes. the Beauty OF Hebron
almost invariably proves sound and solid to
the core"
POTATO ROT, ETC.
Before recent meeting of Farmers
Club at New Haven, Conn.,, Professor VIM.
ID. Brewster gave a history of the potato,
which he said belonged to a poisonous
species, of which 800 species were known,
few members of which were eaten, the
tomato for instance. 1t is tuber made up
OF loose cells filled with starch, and three
quarters of Its weight water. As it be-
longs to a poisonous family cattle will not
eat the tops, and people are often made
sick by eating the sprouts in the early spring
for salad. It was introduced into Europe
about 800 years ago, but not in general use
excepting in Ireland. Although the potato
rot was known for many years it did not be-
come a calamity until the years between 1912
and 1910, and its character was not thorough
ly understood until 1875. 1t has been ascer-
tanned, after an enormous amount of study,
that its cause is a parasitic fungi. Plants
and fupgl never agree; they invariably pro-
duce disease in some form. Some fungi
will grow as well in the dark as in the
light. Mould, rust, midew are oil forms
OF fungi. The body of the fungi is called
the spawn or seed. Some mould will grow
on dead as well as on live substances, but
wherever It is found it produces change in
the chemical composition of that substance.
Although this fungi was known aud recog
nlzed upon the potato it was not regarded as
the cause of the disease. When the rot made
its calamitous appearance the theories pre-
sented to account tor its presence were null
titudnous. Some attributed it to a plant
louise. Others that it had run out by too long
cultivation from the tuber rather than the
seed, Others to too high maturing, too low
manuring, lack of salt and potash in the soil.
De Barry of Germany published phamphlet
III 1861 relating experiments upon the fungi,
and 1t has since been accepted that the con-
illusions were for the most part correct. This
fungi or spawn attacks the Leaf first and pro-
duces little brown spots and rom thence
works itself down-multiplying with marvel
Gus rapidity into the STALK and tuber. This
spawn in size is 100 part of an inch. II is
somewhat oval In shape. 1t does not grow
like seed with equal expansions on both
sides, but develops on one side. 1t does not
attack the stalk as much as the tuber. 1t
grows with great rapidly when the weather
is favorable and is borne by the wind to 9TH
er plants so that field will in short time
have the appearance of having been run over
by fire. The potato disease appears in very
variable circumstances. Warm, wet weather
is favorable. Plauts in low land are more Ii
able to be attacked than on high ground
where the wind may sweep the fungi away.
Many remedies have been suggested but none
have thus far proved effectual in all cases,
and search has been made for some species
that will be rot-proof. Some have used chem
icals but with doubtful results, and we are
brought to the conclusion that as yet no good
and practical remedy has been found.-Bel-
fast Journal.
The farmers Vegetable Garden.
There is no patch of land on the farm that
yields so much comfort to the family, and
shows 80 much profit on the ledger, as the
garden, provided it is properly managed.