Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-10-05
Mlisfellarreous.
Raising Potatoes In WssteFn nasssehu.
sets.


She Springfield Republican gives an in
terestipg account Of wonderful commu-
nifty at Smith's Ferry, half way between
Northampton and Fiolyoke. The commu-
nifty consists mainly of diversified family
of Smiths who are mostly farmers.
Milo l.. makes a specially Of potatoes
and hay, and he understands his business.
lie has II acres Of potatoes in one piece,
the rows of which are 80 rods long, and
finer. cleaner sight on the 2otf OF August
(he time Of our yisit1 is rarely seen.
The tops are nearly all green aud uni
formly cover the whole field; the bugs
have done no harm, for they have had op-
portunty to partake Of Paris green this
season three times and they have lain
down infhe last ditch. The bulk ofibe fieid
was planted with Peerless potstoes. and
the balance were Early Rose. Mr.. Smith
plants in hills 2 IL by 3 feet. because it is
less work and the tubers grow larger than
in drills He manures broadcast, because
he finds the fine potato roots run two or
more feet after nOurishment. This year
he put on IL two-horse cart-loads of stable
manure mot far from four cords) and 700
pounds Of fish and potash mixture per
acre, and narrowed ii all in. The fish
and potash cost 2 81 per ton. or about sij
per acre, and the whole fertilizers are es-
timated at so per acre. The special fer
tilizers help the barn fertilizers, and the
effect together he thinks is better than Ell
ther alone. Mr.. Smiths stable manures
consist Of horse and cattle manure
worked over by hogs. and as he keeps
I25 sheep their droppings are worked into
the other mass by fork, warming and
quickening the pile before it is disturbed.
The manure is drawn out and piled a
month before planting When the ground
is fitted n marker with four cleats marks
the rows A hoe is used TO make the
hills and cover them. Seven or eight
bushels of seed are usually used per acre.
but half that quantity is enough with such
varieties as the Jenny Lind. A good
sized potato for eating should be cut into
four pieces, and one piece is enough tor
hill in planting, he says. Six acres OF
this potato patch this year was on turf.
the other halt had potatoes for previous
crop. The only difference perceptible at
the time of our visit, was that the tops
were trine more yellow on the old po-
tato land. His planting usually begins
the last half Of April and ends before the
middle of May. The expected yield of the
Peerless is 27J to 800 bushels of potatoes,
and they sometimes overrun this. Early
Rose potatoes yield less, or about 200
bushels per acre. In digging. two rows
81 tops are first pulled. hook is used.
and one man is expected to dig and pick
up so bushels Of potatoes a day. The po-
tatoes are not sorted till they are sold.
The cultivating Is done largely by horse
power, and the amount necessary varies
with the season. This year they have
had extra care, because of the wet
and weeds The Thomas smoothing
harrow is the first implement used.
and the ridger-cultivator and hand hoe
follow as often as necessary. in order to
keep the field clean. Mr.. Smith keeps
the bugs in check by plaster and Paris
green, $50 pounds of the former to one
pound OF the latter. siifed on dry. In his
three applications this year he has used
nearly this quantity per acre each time.
The objection to the use of Paris green
with water is that it settles so quickly.
and sometimes burns the leaves. He has
heard of cases where calf and n horse
drank out of barrel that had been pre-
pared for poisoning bugs, but because the
green had settled to the bottom the ami
mails were not injured at all. Smith S
Ferry is n great potato region, and about
30 acres are growing within n mile of the
depot. which will probably yield 1900
bushels.