Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-03-01
Ode fart,1 aua fitfsiae.
= q Z :. D D I

LARGE AND SMALL POTATOES FOR SEED.
The past seasons experience ought to solve
the question as to whether small potatoes
are as good as large ones for planting. The
scarcity of potatoes last spring OccasiOned
the planting of many small inferior tubers,
and the resulting crops will convince many
that there was little lost from using the
small seed. At least this has been the re-
suit of my observation in this section. In
nv experience small-sized potatoes of the
Beauty of Hebron variety have produced
crop Of excellent quality and size, but OF
small yield. The same is true with the
Burbank variety, planted later, both va
rieties yielding as fine tubers as eNersaw,
the YIELD however, being small. Al cir
cumstance has lately come under our Obser-
vatiOn which has had considerable weight
in my mind in deciding this question. "A
party came to me last spring after | had
finished planting potatoes, and after [ had
sold all of my surplus seed with the eX-
ception OF, ;bpshel or 80 Of small potatoes
the cuHs from previous @assOrt1ng-wh
averaged but little larger than a hickory
nut in size. Seed being very scarce, the
party referred to decided to take these
small specimens, and, although | freely eX-
pressed my belief that they were too small
for seed, they were sphnted anhesDif was
favorable, being clover and timothy SOD,
and, somewhat to my surprise, the yield
and size of the tubers is large for this season.
l am decided in my own mind that the
only advantage in large potatoes over small
ones for seed is in the extra amount OF
nourishment which the large potatoes afford
the young plants during their earlier stages
of growth: The difference Is much less on
rich than on poor soil, because on rich land
the young potato plants require much less
| i.,l,, hafflr
care of themselves. For this reason l am
not in favor of cutting potatoes to few
eyes, as recommended by some potato
growers. Much better results will be Sc
t phntine i e&llole tpbefss ai,a G thinning ut q
the stalks, leaving but two or four to hill:
In this way large stout tops are produced
which are better able to resist the effects OF
drought or the depredations of insects,
and usually such strong-growing tops (un-
less of over siZe) will produce large pota-
toes and a desirable yield.-Coresponttence
| Country Gentleman. -. nj ~
The AgricWt,uW EDH0naiI of January /
contains an article from a Western CORES
pondent CDR. w. E Rush) who states that
year before last he planted one peck OF
Beauty of Hebron potatoes THAT were so
small in size as to be unfit for table use,
and one bushel of Snowflake potatoes, all
large, beautiful and model potatoes. Both
varieties produted fffteen bushels; but the
Beauty Of Hebrons were larger and more
excellent in their average. The next sea-
son he planted small potatoes of the Snow
flake variety, but from the Beauty of He
brons he selected the choicest. They had
the same cultivation, but the small pota-
them superior in every respect. Here we
have a case. in which. experiments were
tried with two good varieties of potatoes,
and, after reversing the conditions, the
advantage was in favor of small potatoes in
giving results. .4:..