The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-03-13
THE POTATO.

hlit OF IT, No present u cntiTe 10 our reHueft,
hoping that il will stimulate some to thinking over
the matter Of this very important produc, of our
soil:
The potato is said to DO the native Of America,
and was first discovered in Peru. Why IL is called
the Irish potato I have never learned and am
therefore loft TO conjecture. History informs us
that Sir Walter Raleigh was the first 20 introduce
them on his plantations 10 ireland from America
after the war OF Queen Elizabeth with that coun-
try. Since that time II has formed one Of the
principle articles Of food there. We are led TO in
fer from this circumstance that they thus derived
their name-Irish. In connection with one or two
more that might be cited, would suggest that We
put II where II properly belongs, re-christen u by
an act Of Congress and call Il the American potato.
Since Its discovery IL has been improved very
much, cultivated in different parts Of The world and
in all parts Of the United States, but produced
mostly in ATTITUDES from Maine 10 the Southern
States. The sweet potato in the latter is grown
more
The largest potato growing States. as per L. :.
Census report of 1870, are New York, producing
over p, 100000 bushels; Maine over 1,000,uO0
Vermont over 5,00O,OO0; New Hampshire AMI
Now Jersey each over i,500.O00; Pennsylvania
over j l,00O.OOO; Michigan anil Illinois each over
1915 600 bushels. In looking over the late Az.
ricultural Report. (for which member Of Con
gress, IIon. J. Fred. e. Talbot, will accept my
thanks fni there has been a falling oil In some
Of tho larger producing States, while an increase
is noticed in others. The Target sweet potato
growing States are North Carolina producing over
5,0OO,u00, and Georgia and Texas over 2OUO.unn
bushels each. But IL is our common potato that
this article treats II Is Of the staple pro
duets of tho country, usei more or less in every
family and esteemed very highly by all classes of
society. We ought 90 raise all We want for home
consumption and vast quantity for cxporiaiion.
According 20 the statistical abstract Of the United
States, tfrst number ls1>.l in lS11 there were
| tfntnrfcl into tbe 4 pt.I . .h.f.
of potatoes: exported the same year 81? ESQ bush
| els dutiablc. 53.1iG bushels: total amount cx-
ported. 5>..3g6 bushels costing the people of the
nited State at the average sellinS price over n
million of dollars. In ISIS our excess Of exports
oi the potato were 2gi,01S bushels. II we refer 20
the above named report il shows for ten years
back that We have not exported or We DO no, ex
por; the commodity as largely as We might ii wo
turned our attention more TO the production Of the
vegetable. The highest average yield from the
official document namel was in l>1j-li0l bush
els per Ten years general average, 90 bush
els per acre The highest value per acre was in
l,GS, when il ssi.ad. No other crop of daily
| consumption figures 80 high or is a. productive to
the acre in proportion 10 the labor bestowed.
especially by directions given 10 receipt that j.
in my possession. Ny Eealers may think an ex
aggeraiins statement is made when i; is told them
that from 80 20 GOO more bushels can be
grown 10 the acre, according a. they are planted.
manured the season, &c, but 1t is fact, never
| thcless. The producer as well as consumer il
| benefited when product of the soil-one in such
universal demand as the are treating Of
is produced a, small expense and tha; success,
fully.
How To PRoDUcE NEW MINDS OF POTATOES.
Take the seed. balls of good quality Of potato.
| when ripe, which may be known by the vines hav-
| ing their growth and turning yellow. dying. dc.,
and with n strong thread and needle string them
and hang in secure place. They may bc lett in
0 ~ aNusa wsakk kk.I. .fsft
until the following spring. In the month Of April
soak them from the pulp and SOW thny in rows.
u or Is inches apart aud from TO inch deep.
| in nicely prepared. mellow soil in the garden
When up keep clean of weeds and thin out 10 6 or
inches apart. adding little rich earth 10 them.
After they get n start add q little cut rotten
straw. pine leaves or other material 60 keep the
ground mulehed. help keep dswn weeds and retain
moisture about the ruots they grow hill slight
| ly with fine earth. In autumn or the latter part
| Of October small potatoes will be found on the
vines from the size of walnut 10 that of pea
Take them ou; and pu, them away carefully till
the following spring. Then plant tho largest in
bills in good suitable soil note which ripens first
and last When ma,ured in the fall test them
that you may know which gives the greatest
promise 90 time Of maturity, quality. quantity.
| flavor. &c. You will find almost as many kinds
as there were seeds and differing in quality, sc.
| The third year select seed only from the beet
| kinds. II any are promising. continue the plant
ing TO bring them forward by this method any
farmer can have or produce variety.
Some Of tho principal potato growers in their
catalogues speak Of over 500 different kinds
Only few are mentioned and recommended:
| Sno,c Flake is medium early, also an excellent
winter potato. good sire. productive. very white
aad handsome. of the very highest quality
| GsHs.sc 90. kiny.-"lt 10 n remarkably vigor-
Gus grower and almost bid. defiance TO the bugs.
especially IL Paris green is seasonably and judi
eiOusly used. The potato resembles the White
| Peach Blow. IL is of u light pink color. nearly
round, with rather deep set eyes. IL is two weeks
| earlier than the Peach Blow and will yield more
| than double the number of bushels Of marketable
| potatoes per acre.
Eariy Gsrmonf.-"A few days earlier than the
| Early Rose. more vigorous grower. more pro-
| ductvs and of better quality"
These three kinds are mentioned from Jos. llar-
| ris' Morcton Farm catalogue, Rochester. New York.
Tks Earty R"se.-This celebrated potato is too
| well known 20 nesd any description. but | will
state that its qualities are: Flesh white. solid
and brittle rarely hollow boils through quickly:
is very mealy and Of the best table quality"
i Ths Harrison.-"it has a smooth white skin.
white acth and is the most solid Of large potatoes.
| having no hollow in the centre; is enormously
productive, exceeding all others. It. form is
i good. table quality excellent and keeps we'll.
TAe Ciimar.-"A Seeding potato. IL has
| stout, erect stalk. Of full medium height, very
| large leaves; tuber above medium sire. quite
nettsd or russst, tough, whites hesh entirely white.
solid, heavy, brittle and never hollow. II boils
| through quickly with no hard core Mt centre or
stem, 10 meaiy. Of howery whiteness and Of supc-
| rior table quality"
The above are abridged descriptions from the
prize essay catalogue published by Orange Judd
| a Co., 2i5 broadway, New York. For more cx-
| tended list and much valuable information ON the
potato the reader Is referred 10 that interesting
document, kindly loaned me by professor of the
Maryland Agricultural College.
In the late report (lS1sl Of the Commissioner
Of Agriculture IL Is shown that there has been dis
tributed &C. the States six new varieties possessing
three superior qualities. via: "Earlness Of matur-
ing, quantity Of yield and delicAcy for the table.
They are called "Ths Victor, ""Beauty Of Hebron,
RUBY" ""Alpha" and "clarkc's" Nos. 5 and g.
Very favorable reports have been rccciv ed through
out the country these new varieties. They
ripen In from 60 90 90 days, and in some sections
Of the South, where planted early, two crops can
be grown the same season. From Maryland =
| "victor maturci before the Early Rose. The
Alpha, Hebron and Victor gave tubers OF size
from @ TO inches long, dme,er. The Hebron gave
good tubcrs on . single vine, doubling the yield -
Of the Early Rose" The same potato is reported
yielding O bushels from one quart planted-6i
tubcrs weighing Go lbs, &c.
Since u 10 known how TO drive the bugs farmers
need have no fears from them. II may not be
generally known that Paris green and the com
pounds have named in my receipt are good fer
tiliSers, used judiciously. II may be question
whether or not the bugs are an advantage, as We
have to apply remedies to drive them that pro-
mote the growth Of the vines
MEETING POTATOES.
Various opinions prevail as TO the best mode Of
keeping the potato. Some growers maintain that
the proper place for Il TO be kept Is In the ground
during winter the earth 10 the natural place for
Il, and that Il can be kept there sound and perfect
In all Of its vitality, which seems TO be rcasona-
bic view Of the subject. II any one will notice,
when they are kept in cellars, those next the