Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-06-06
Plaster and Potatoes.

"Old Hundred" Corinth, VT, writes al
have read your articles for so long time
and am SO well pleased with your ideas on
various subjects, agricultural, financial, so.
cial moral and political (though l don't
train under the same party flag with you),
that feel like claiming you as an old friend,
though we have never met in the body. |
would like to know your idea of the best
way and time to apply plaster to hoed crops ;
also with regard to seeding potatoes and cut
ting seed potatoes"
REILLY BY AGRICULTURAL EDIToR.-We
are glad to be regarded as friend by all
readers and TO reciprocate, so far as we can,
by answering their questions, or otherwise.
1t is always cheering to public writer to
learn from his readers that his work is ac-
ceptable and he cannot but be stimulated
to do his best in their behalf by kind words
like those Of "Old Hundred"
Regarding the application of plaster to
hoed crops, we think very good effects will
be obtained by scattering it broadly in the
hill or drill. On some land and with some
crops, plaster seems to have little or no eff
feet, while on others the action is often
quite surprising. Clover, peas, beans and
potatoes seem to feel the action of plaster
as fertilizer strongly, and corn also is often
benefited. Small grains and grass get little
direct good from plaster, but receive vast
indirect benefit when clover or clover sod,
grown with the aid of plaster, is plowed
down for grain or grass seeding. Only a
small quantity of plaster can be dissolved
by one seasons rains, and two bushels to the
acre is as good as more. Indeed, some
think one hundred pounds about all that the
rain will dissolve in a season. 1t is strange
that so little should do so much good as it
often does. 1t takes four hundred pounds
of water to dissolve one pound of plaster,
even when they are brought in direct con-
tact out of the soil. In accounting for the
| activity of plaster az fertilizer, however,
we must remember that about one.third of
| its weight consists OF one of the most power.
full Of the mineral acids (sulphuric acid, or
oil Of vitrioD, and that this is capable Of ex.
erting strong action upon the .locked.up
plant-food of the soil. When manufactured
superphosphates are used, either in the hill
or broadcast, no plaster is necessary, for
nearly one-half of the weight of a CONNER.
cial superphosphate consists of the plaster
| (sulphate Of lime) produced in the process
OF manufacture by the union of the sulphuric
acid used with the lime of the bones, or the
phosphate rock. We think this an impor
tant fact, not sufficiently known amongst
fairness, as we frequently hear of plaster be
ing mixed with a superphosphate before
using, which is like sweetening maple syrup
with sugar.
To the potato question we may answer
that our own experience, extending over
many years, has given us preference for
large, well-shaped potatoes cut into pieces
with two eyes, and planted in drills ten
inches apart We want land in good heart
manured with dung the year before and
deeply and carefully plowed and narrowed,
so as to make deep, fine seed bed. and then
rowed out six inches deep, fertilized in the
drill with a pail full of ashes for every
twenty rods of row, covered with the har-
row, and then narrowed again just as the
young shoots begin to crack the soil. The
rows, for early sorts, should be three feet
apart. or for late, strong growers, three and
one-half feet, cultivated often with the horse
hoe, and not haied up. This is for light OF
loamy soils. We have got in this way up to
and never less than two hundred and seventy
five. Though we prefer seed such as il
named above, we believe no serious loss will
result from occasionally using smaller seed
If it is perfectly ripe. Potatoes the size ol
a hens egg, split lengthwise into two pieces
make good seed to use when larger canno
be had.