Connecticut western news., 1882-10-25
CANAAN VALLEY, Oct. IF

CANAAN VALLEY, Oct. IF.
 Editor of Ne,cs :-I have been in hopes to hear, or see good article in some of the papers about potatoes. I meet people that have not got their SUD- ply for the season and they say they can get them for fifty cents per bushel. It happens that I have none to sell, and I do not wish to buy, so I will try to treat the subject fairly. I thought last spring that never saw so many planted in one season before, and from observa- tion, people have been unusually thor ough in the care of the crop. I have been very particular in my inquiries about the potatoe crop. was in hopes that potatoes would be fifty cents per bushel and no more. If we have just about enough of crop to readily meet the public wants, it makes things go off lively, and all are satisfied. This one-sided business in raising crops is neither pleasant or profitable. I6 is 8 fact that potatoes are different in most respects from any other crop. They are so necessary in every family-and we have been so used to having them cheap and plenty that if any thing un- usual happens to the crop, we feel it keenly. I have had experience in the matter for thirty years. I have tried by observation and practice to hold my own in raising potatoes. I have held many opinions in that time and have outlived most of them. As common as potatoes are am afraid we are ignorant about the potatoe subject. I have just harvested this years crop, and have footed up the cost. have estimated wages for labor and cost of board at reg ular rates, and find that the cost of the crop is little over forty dollars for one and and one fourth acres. Seventy bushels of unsorted potatoes is the amount of the crop one third of them are small and unfit for cooking. The land on which they were grown is the best on the farm. had such luck with manure last year on account of weeds, that I adopted different plan last spring. I used four hundred pounds oi super-phosphate on the plot-planted early and hood the potatoes twice. The result was better yield than the year previous, with the same cultivation. Where is potatoe cultivation going tc end ? I have observed that clover and grass seed do not grow we'll on piece of land on which potatoes have beer grown. further observe that on corn
 stalk stubble land adjoining the potatoe land, the clover and grass produced ar average yield. From the observations mentioned, I conclude that potatoes are an exhaustive crop and injurious tc the land. Potatoe raising is very un
 certain, there seeming to be several ob
 sticles in the way of their growth, and come to the conclusion that I had bet
 ter buy what potatoes I may need fo, domestic purposes - if they can b, bought for fifty cents @ bushel-than tt risk the uncertainty of a crop which ma, possibly cost seventy-five cents pc
 bushel if attempt to grow them, say ing nothing about the damage to thu land I have come to think that pota toes have had their day and before long will become almost extinct, as man, other vegetables have before them. Th
 only remedy that I can suggest to bet l ter the growth of the crop is to plant
 , mixture, or several varieties of potatoes by this means producing new variety As reason for the suggestion made in tn foregoing sentence, would point t. l the fact that Nature has so ordered tha : repeated reproduction, in time cause species to become extinct while the re 3 verse, or a mixture of species or varie 7 ties as far removed as possible produc } an abundant yield and healty growth 7 A new system of culture we must hay
 or bid good bye to potatoes. w. S.