Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-01-12
Experiments with Potatoes.

eye, the more vigorous ana the larger
will be the stalk, when it first appears
above ground; but experiments also
teach that very liberal application of
manure, and high culture, will over
come the disadvantages caused by a
very small amount of potato to each
eye. From this it is fair to conclude
that the vigor of the stalk of large
piece of potato is not caused by any diff
ference in the seed, except the quantity
and the health of the potato planted,
and that the potato itself imparts nour-
ishment to the young sprout more read
lily than the fertilizers applied to the
soil. If the soil be very rich, the little
roots that grow from the sprout will
soon gather up the fertilizers from the
soil in sufficient quantities to push the
stalk into vigorous growth, independ-
ent OF any nourishment of the potato;
but If the land be poor, the little roots
will be able to draw from the soil but
very little at first, and so must depend
upon the potato for support, until the
roots have grown and scattered over the
ground sufficient to draw nourishment
from large surface. Thus it will be
seen that while light seeding may do for
very rich soil, it will not do for very
poor. But in planting large potatoes,
or large pieces of potatoes, we encounter
serious difficulty, which is large
number of eyes, and thus a multitude of
stalks with only a small amount of pota-
to to each. To avoid this, all but one
or two eyes may be cut out. This takes
time, and raises the question, Does it
pay? Another method may be resorted
to, which is to thin out the small stalks
after they come up. This also requires
time, and very few persons practice
either except for experiments. A whole
potato planted will send up sprout in
less time than one that is cut; therefore,
IT a crop of early potatoes is desired, it
Is the best policy to plant whole potatoes
instead of cut.
The following experiments were tried
the past season: The first was to ascer-
tain which end of the potato would Sc
cure the best results. A piece was first
cut off the seed end of the potato, then
piece, rs nearly as possible, of the
same size cut from the opposite end.
All but two eyes were cut from each
piece. Two pieces were dropped in
each hill. That there might be no pos
sible chance for a difference in the soil
or culture, the pieces cut from the seed
end were planted in alternate hills with
those cut from the other end. The re-
suit at harvesting was as follows: Whole
amount from the seed cut from the
large end of the potato, twenty-one
pounds, of which thirteen and one-half
pounds were large and six and one-half
were small potatoes. Whole amount
from seed cut from the seed end, TWEEN
ty-seven pounds, of which twenty-one
and one-haif pounds were large and six
and One-haff were small potatoes. The
IL 1T a.
seed end looked the best throughout the
season, and we're earlier than the others,
but the potatoes were not as smooth,
the worms having eaten them more,
and quite a number of good sized pota-
toes were rotten, which were not includ-
ed in the above weight. Had it not
been for the worms and the rot, the
weight would probably have exceeded
thirty pounds. The reason why the po-
tatoes from the seed cut from the large
end did not receive any injury from the
rot or the worms was undoubtedly be-
cause they were later.
The second experiment was to ascer-
tain which is best for seed, small whole
potatoes or large cut. The small pota-
toes selected were about one inch in
diameter, and the large ones would
weigh about three-fourths of a pound
each. The pieces were cut to size, to
correspond in weight to the small whole
potatoes, and only two eyes in each
piece, or whole potato, were left to
grow, the others being cut out. The
whole potatoes were planted in alternate
hills with the cut. The result at har-
vesting was as follows: Whole amount
from large cut potatoes, thirty-ive
pounds, of which twenty-six and one
quarter pounds were large, and eight
and three-quarter small potatoes.
Whole amount from small whole po-
tatoes, forty pounds, of which twenty
seven pounds were large, and thirteen
small potatoes.
The tops of the potatoes from
the small whole potatoes looked the
best during the entire season, but the
potatoes, like those that grew the seed
end, were eaten by the worms. Quite
number of large sized potatoes were so
badly eaten that they were put in with
the small ones. Several pounds of
large potatoes were also rotten, and not
weighed. These losses account for the
large proportion of small potatoes, and
the reason of the loss may be attributed
to the fact that they were a week in
advance of the others when the roots
formed.
The first experiment given above was
tried in 1880, with nearly the same re-
suit as to the amount, but the quality
of the potatoes, from the seed end. was
equal to the others; in fact better, if size
ia to be considered. The experiments
will be continued, and the product from
the small whole potatoes this year will
be kept to furnish the small whole pota-
toes for seed next year, and so with the
large cut, seed end, te.-MassachuSetts
Ploughnan.
Mrs. Marter was deserted by her
husband three years ago. He went to
Halifax and practiced dentistry. She
lived in Boston, in straitened circum-
stances, until the recent death of an
uncle made her very rich. Then she
tboupht that, with so much money az an