Connecticut western news., 1880-11-17
FARM AND GARDEN.
EXPERIMENTS WITH SEED POTATOES.

Noticing the great uniformity in which the eyes are placed over the sur face of the potato, I thought of trying, by cutting a tuber into sections of 8 given length, to see if they would show uniform number of eyes, and was agreeably surprised to find they did; then by counting the number of eyes on potato (the variety was Early Rose, and I counted the cluster of eyes on seed end as one), and dividing by three, the number of eyes I wanted on piece for seed, I cut the potato to that number which made each section just three-quarters of an inch slice In cutting number of potatoes so, I found that a very uniform number of eyes was obtained for all except the end pieces, but with them there was great discrepancy between the seed end and stem end, one having an even number of eyes and often the number coming short on the other. But from former experience in planting from 8 single eye up to 8 number of eyes in 8 hill, I thought that nature would regu- late itself enough to mostly overcome this objection so I made an implement with which to cut seed potatoes to such equal sized pieces quite rapidly; then as the field was marked and fur rowed out all ready for planting, took a load of potatoes and stood by it, at end of the rows, and with this cutting machine one could cut as fast as three could drop, thus planting the fresh-cut seed, without the risk of injury which often happens by cutting before plant ing. By cutting in this way found that it took seven bushels of Rose and of Burbank, but of Peerless and Peach blow, cut one-eighth of an inch, nine bushels were required.
 By close observation, both at planting and after the crop grew up, it was the most satisfactory job of cutting seed I ever did. But to prove what the differ ence might be between planting of stem ends and seedends, carefully planted and marked TOW of seed end pieces, and and next to it row of stem-end pieces, and watched their development. When they grew up, the growth from seed-e end pieces showed themselves first above ground, and started up rather spind- ling, while the other in day or two af- ter came up rank and of dark rich color. These were occasionally exam ] ined by men knowing the peculiarity of their planting, and it was not long be- fore they said that one row looked as well as the other, and seemed to have as many tops, and after getting eight or ten inches high, they were counted up carefully, and contrary to expectation the rowof stem-seed planting had larg- CT number of tops, and in every way looked as we'll as the other rows, and when they were dug all agreed that one row yielded as we'll as the other. This being the case, I call the experiment of cutting seed in this way complete suc- cess. I was not so successful with an- other experiment practiced in this year s planting. Owing to the peculiarities of the previous season, those planted the deepest did the best, so aimed to plant deeper than usual this year, but the soil was quite dry when we planted, and as it did not rain once through the season to wet so deep into the ground, they did not do so well this year as those planted l cho1
 N Y
 ON THE FARM.-Tell the boy that farming requires and rewards as much brain and education as any other pur- suit that they will gain for him immu. nity from the dirtiest and hardest work and as much leisure in the course of s year as any other pursuit will enable him to grow more, to market to gooc advantage, to take an intelligent part 1T the affairs of society and government to associate with persons of more refine ment than himself as he has opportu nity and with his books always. Show him what a field for highest exertio1 with richest rewards is presented by tht art and science of agriculture, and how much must be done in urging farmers te prepare to take their share of responsi bility in politics and social life in orde7 to stable and better Government anl to solid and less effete society. Show this to the "type of young America, and instead of "driving forth to-da. from American farm on his God -give1 mission" " he will, if naturally adapted consider it his God-given mission to stay on the farm.