The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1882-03-14


Tennessee prior 20 the war farmers were
accustomed TO devote all their tillable
land to only one or two crOp& Cotton
and corn, or corn and tobacco, . little
whest, rye, or oats constituted the annual
crop of most planters. Enough vegeta-
bles were raised to furnish an abandant
supply for the family, bat no one ever
dreamed of raising them for shipment to
market.
Under the present system of farming.
Tennessee is rapidly adopting the policy
of planting . variety Of crops While
cotton, tobacco, and corn are still our
main money crops, many of our most en-
terprising farmers are giving much atten-
tion TO the raising and shipping Of fruits
and vegetables, especially of the early
spring varieties, for Northern markets.
In this and adjoining counties, especial
attention Is devoted to the Irish potato
crop. Heretofore we have been unable
to raise our own seed potatoes; we were
obliged, every spring, TO purchase fresh
supplies of Northern growth. This in
ability to save our own seed resulted from
the fact that if We dug our crop as soon
as 1t was matured the tubers were almost
certain TO rot during the long, hot, au-
tumn months; if they escaped that danger,
they shriveled and sprouted to such an
extent during the winter, that they were
unit for prolific seed in spring. If. on
the other hand, we deferred the digging
till the cool weather of fall, we found
that the tubers had taken second growth
during the warm autumnal rains. Crops
from such seed were late and the Weld
unsatisfactory. The expense of annual
purchase Of seed, the difficulty of keeping
the crop, acted to prevent any extensive
cultivation of this important escuIent.
An important change has been wrought
in the cultivation Of potatoes in our sec
ton within the last few years. We now
buy no seed, but sell it in large quanti-
ties. Our potatoes, in the spring. are
sound, firm, unshriveled and unsprouted.
The home-raised produces marketable Do
tatoes two or three weeks earlier than do
the imported seed The yield is not only
earlier, but more abundant. The conse-
quence is that Tennessee second-crop7
potatoes command in Nashville higher
prices than do the best Northern article.
The Tennessee seed is In demand. not
only for home planting, but large amounts
are beginning to be shipped to States
both north and south of us The method
by which this great, and TO Us very prof
table, change has been wrought is locally
called "the second-crop method" II was
introduced few years since By some
Northern immigrants, and has rapidly
extended along the lines Of railroad lead
ing north. 1t is substantially As follows
nf !
those lands which were once blue-grass
pastures, but which from unavoidable
neglect during the war have grown ND in
thickets of blackberry vines and young
trees, are usually preferred, though any
good fresh land will answer. This i
cleared, well broken and harrowed. and
laid off in checks about 80 inches each
way. In each check are dropped two
eyes the aim being to get At least one
healthy stock to each hill The crop i
planted from the lst to the goth Of March.
if possible. The seed is covered with
hoes about 8 inches deep As soon -
the young shoots appear, two furrOws
with one-horse plow are thrown upon
them, so as to cover them up and 50 pro-
tect them from late spring frOsts- In
few DAYS this covering is swept of BY .
drag or harrow When the plants are
from four to SIX inches high, they are
plowed across the rows, throwing the sell
to them. If the ground has been prop
erly prepared no additional work viii
usually be needed.
As soon as the hills viii average two
good marketable potatoes (prices justify
ing), the crop is dug. The larger tubers
are put In ventilated barrels and imme-
diately shipped to Cincinnati, ST. Louis,
Chicago, or some other point north
The tubers too small for market are
gathered as they are dug and protected
from the sun Some persons spread them
upon barn foers, some pile them under
shady trees, or, if they can do no better,
in the open field in either Of the latter
cases, carefully covering the heaps with
vines or weeds to protect them from the
hot sun, which would infaIlibly DESTROY
the terminating power.
The first crop is usually dag early In
June. The yield varies from sixtT 70
one hundred and twenty bushels of mar
ketable potatoes per acre. The price of
our potatoes last year varied from e4-25
to $3.50 per barrel in Cincinnati, accord
ing to earliness and quality
Second crop-The second crop Is usu-
ally more profitable than the first; It
furnishes our winter supply, our next
springs seed, and 3 large surplus for
sale 1t is produced rs follows:
In the beginhing 'ef July the ground,
usually the same upon which the first
crop was raised, is prepared by deep
blowing and thorough narrowing. It
would be better to raise the second crop
upon different plat from that on which
the first was planted. Two CROPS In one
year must, of necessity, soon exhanst the
richest soil it would certainly seem 70
be more profitable for the farmer to raise
his early crop for market upon his quick,
fresh land, and plant hin ssed for second
crop upon other Land IL 10 asserted.
however, by some that after land has ben
double-cropped IN potstoes for even three
or four years It win produce any other
crop ~ well - if it had never been 90
titled, but this assertion is open 20 mach
doubt
After the soil Is properly prepared. Il
il laid of In drills, with one-horss plow,
about so inches apart, In order that two
furrows may properly clean out each mid
die As the great difkcalty with the
second crop il 20 get good stsnd, -
least twice as much ssed II dropped IN
the driIls - i expected to cone ID.
Much Of Il rots, or Tor other canses fxfls
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