The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1883-01-11
Aarifultnral.
Potato Caitnrs NJ the New York Erper-
fm~pt ktsttup

q ENsstNb
Bullclin No. ., issued by Dr. Z l.,
sturtgvan,. director u the New York AZ.
rirnliural Experiment Station At Geneva
sAys.
/ The question Of killing. ndgihg, or lev
81 culture Tor the potato seems TO be one
mainly 81 conditions. The ohicc, 10 he at
tanned being the same 10 all caes. The
results q certain experiments made this
year seem 10 add force 10 the hypothesis
thst the conditions under which the po,a.
70 becomes Of the best quality, and most
] prolific. are those which secure dryness
aud warmth for the iubcr. moisture and
GOODNESS for the roote.
The examination Of the growing poia.
TO, the soil being strong clay, shows
that the tubers uuder field culture, and
under field conditions are borne above the
seed. while the roots extending from the
eve pass downward into the soil the dephi
Of 90 or more iuehes. But few roots are TO
be seen occupying the upper and warmer
layers Of the soil. and in general, we may
say that, with us. the major part OF the
roots pass below the region OF soil which
would be disturbed by the ordinary pro-
cesses OF cultivation. In cases where the
upper surface Of the soil was purpose ly
kept Of friable texture there was q
marked tendency OF the tnber TO approach
the surface, but in a strong clay soil this
tendency was not manifest.
Ridging or Milling in clay soil brings
the formation Of the tuber into that region
OF the soil kept dry by position, and kept
warm by the suns rays. Cultivation
with ordinary hoeing has tendency to
furnish much OF fine earth that protects
the roots which are below the tuber from
the heat Of the suns ray and checks the
evaporation Of the moisture from the soil
below the stirred portion. Upon sandy
land we may assume that level culture will
fulfil similar conditions Of keeping the
tuber in warm, dry, upper soil, and fore
Ing the roots deeper into the cooler and
moister strata below However the theory
the facts Of expression BASED upon this
view, have given interesting results.
Pla,s were marked out and kept under
different conditions -ridging in some
cases; level culture in others; ridging and
intervals mulched with straw, the seed
laid upon the surface and covered with
six inches of straw; the seed laid upon the
surface and covered with four inches Of
sand in one case and six inches of sand in
another. In the plat of potatoes covered
with straw we had the conditions OF cool
ness and moisture for both tuber and root
during the early season of growth, dryness
portion of growth. In the mulched inter-
walls we had the potato tuber occupying
ridges where the soil was measurably dry
and warm, and the ground within which
the roots penetrated protected from evap-
Grafton and from the heat OF the sun by
the mulch. In the plats covered with
sand We had dryness and heat for the tu-
Der, GOODNESS and moisture for the roots; in
other words, the most perfect theoretical
conditions that we could devise in accor-
dance with our hypothesis. The seed
used in these comparisons was the whole
potato. The yield calculated to the 100
hills, may be represented by the following
table,
Merchantable
tubers
H. 4