The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-04-21
ENGLISH VIEWS ON Pc
TATO CULTURE.

The London Gardeners Magazine,
in a recent issue considers at length
a number of disputed points in POI
tato culture. The sum and sub
stance of opinions expressed is
briefly as follows:
1t is a matter Of secondary i'm
portance whether aThole sets or cut
sets are planted, SO that the seed is
sound and contains strong eyes. The
refuse and SWeepingS of the winter
store abound in weak eyes, hence
should be avoided for seed.
1t matters little whether the seed
be dormant or sprouted at the time
of planting. Short. plump shoots
are obtained by sprouting seed in
full daylight which are almost GER
tain to result successfully, but the
man who plants large tracts of land
|, cannot do this, and generally speak
ing he does we'll without it.
When very largo potatoes are
planted the crop usually proves less
satisfactory than when seed of a
smallish or medium size is en-
ployed. The sets cannot be too
ripe; if as hard as flint all the bet
ter; if shrunk and shrivelled
through being immature, all the
worse. The reason why large sets
do not usually produce good crops ia
that they produce too many shoots
from one centre. The consequence
is that the haulms become crowded,
and form a cold mat on the ground,
to the injury of the tubers that are
beneath. The fancier reduces the
number of eyes, because one or two
strong shoots will pay him better
than IA crowd of weakly ones. The
| farmer adopts the shorter method Of
planting small sets whole or large
sets cut, for he knows that large
sets uncut will fill his field ABOVE
ground and keep it empty below.
The plant unTeasouably close is
to insure failure rather than to court
it. The distance apart depends OF
the variety and character OF thu
land. The nature of the season
] also has an influence. For instance
warm, wet weather promotes al
| undue spread of haulm.
The potato will grow in any soil
and in Particular good season TIN
worst soil will produce go1d crops
but the run of years the best re
: turns are obtained from deep fer
; tile loan, or Literally managed
i sand, or well-drained peat. Lime
: stone soil produces good potatoes
| but the crop is usually small, bot
: in bulk and sample. Well man
aged clay land will produce bull
/ without quality: or, at all event,
never such quality as deep, fertile
+. sandy loan.
8 To grow the crop well is q some
, what costly proceeding, to spesl
3 comparatively, but the risk is sligh
4 when the work is well done, and
3 fair return In bulk will range frOL
8 eight to fifteen tons to the acre
: There are two ways of evading tn
disease and the adoption of eithe
must be determined by considerable
= Of the circumstances. On 8 ligh
= lively soil, in a favorable climate
o the early sorts will make a fair Ie
J. turn and will be removed befoI
Y the disease appears and in time &c
6 planting the land with a crop t
v follow. On a late soil, or where
S late system must be followed, til
: great matter is to plant variet
d that the disease, if it comes, is likel
s to spare. Happily there are som
S frst-class sorts that are PRACTICAL
It disease proof; for although in ba
= season they may suffer more or les
8 they do not, even IN the worst cas-
q suffer obliteratiOn.