Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-10-06
The POtOtO Crop.
BY THOMAS CALLAHAN.

| gard to potatoes. This has not arisen
| from any want Of respect for his cCun-
| trymen, but from desire to first OBJ
| tain some more facts.
There may De some who are not
aware that potatoes were taken from
the Western to the Eeastern world
where they were unknown before the
discovery of America. Indian corn,
tobacco, potatoes, rattlesnakes, and po-
| tauo-bugs. all belong to'the Bird o. Free
dom. The potato, being very prOduc-
tive, was adopted in ireland especially
AS food for the laboliDg classes; and
| wherever that class Of people is found
| i'll this country, th IS article of food has
| a large share of attention, and is also
very favorably regarded by many of
the oldest families Of the country.
There is no other plant SO widely
diffused as an article of food as the po-
tato. Corn cannot be successfully pro-
duced north or south of the 45th dagree
of latitude. whilst the potato will grow
| in in as nigh as the 65th degree. 1T
reaches IFS best development IN rich
soil where it has rather short season
and rapid growth. In so far as the
Irish potato is concerned, Wisconsin
disputes With Michigan the right to be
the banner State, and Iowa comes also
we'll 70 the front. Southern Missouri
is SO nearly on the line of the domains
OF the Irish and sweet potatoes, that
both appear to require rather careful
handling IN order to be a success.
AS rule good winter wheat and
good Irish potatoes go together, and lux
uriant corn and good sweet-pOtatOes go
hand-in-hand. In regard to both class
es OF potatoes, the oduS are strongly in
favor of eastern part OF Southeastern
Missouri. 10 tie hill country of this
district, fair crops can be produced; but
the land must be well manured and
deer ly pIewed. The irish potato is a
gross feeder, and can stand up TO and
use large amount of strong manure.
Let the land be manured and deeply
piowed the fail before, ii possible, TO the
depth of a foot. Plow with view to
the drainage of the ground, so as to Sc
cure early planning. This should al
ways be a great consideration. Cut the
seed one eye to each piece, if possible;
and as the seed will never begin 10
sprout until The cut surface has dried
or skinned over, you can gain some
time in sprouting alter planting by cut
ting your seed a few days before you
plant il. Secure ripe, sound seed, and
planl as early as possible in ground that
has been well manured and deeply
plowed The fall before; ard then. AS the
crop is growing, keep the soil loose and
free from weeds, and your show for
crop will ne good. If bugs appear, take
tin washpan, and, making ring Of
grease around the top of it on the in
side, put the bugs in the pan, being
very careful to remove all the leaves Of
the plants that nave eggs on them, and
see TO it that they are in the pan; have
q quick fire, and turn the pans mouth
down over it for a moment; then grease
your pan again, and nunt for more bugs.
Eternal vigilance is the price of pota-
toes iii bug time.
But many people insist on planting in
the dark of tie moon, as if that led to
better results. There is no warrant for
that in fact. A moments reflection
will show that there is the same amount
of moonlight on The earth in the dark
as in the light of line moon. The writ
er has gone through with all the expe-
riments on the subject, and is satisfied
there is nothing in il so far as the moon
is concerned. Learned men claim that
the influence OF the sun and moon pro-
duce the tides OF the ocean. The writer
believed tiis until he saw the tides, and
he then acquitted the moon of the whole
matter: tney are the result Of the COM
bined action of the earth and sun, by
winch the moon IS kept in its place as
the satellite of the earth, and part of
the solar system. A full !nGOn We have
high tides; not because The moon is full,
but because the influence of the earth
and the sun on the moon coincide in
direction. At the dark of the moon we
have low tides; not because the moon is
dark, but because the moon being be-
tween tue sun and the earth, the suns
influence Oil The moon does pass across
The earth, SO that the infiueAce of the
earth only goes to produce the tides.
This is perhaps enough astronomy for
potato patch.
1t is customary with large class to
blame all failures on God; on the sun,
moon and stars; on anyone, in short,
except themselves. I he writer believes
with the faith of a little child in Him
who gives us rain and fruitful seasons,
filling our hearts with food and glad
ness; and he ciings tenaciously to the
privilege and duty of making our de-
sires known unto Him, but he believes
also just as firmly IN first-class plow;
or in a good digging-fork, if well used.
He believes in understanding land; in
picking out rocks. He believes in
abundance of manure, well plowed and
forked in. He believes in good fences,
both in Church and State; and in kind
ness to man and beast. Our late fear
full drought ought to teach US lesson;
it has extended over a region where
thrifiless farming is the rule. If peo-
pie will cut the tim Der from their land,
and sell it, aud if they will persist in
stretching over a whole country side,
they must pay the penalty, and they
will find it heavy one. Droughls
will follov such policy as certainly as
darkness follows the setting of the sun.
The prevention is to farm less extern
sively and more thoroughly. The
writer has more than once heard very
religious men recommend the appoint
ing of day of fasting and prayer, on
account of drought; but he has always
had his doubts about a prayer against
drought being heard, when made by
man who only plows three inches deep
in strong limestone soil.
When Oliver Cromwell, the great
prototype of StOueWali Jackson, would