Milford chronicle., 1883-03-09
IMPROVED MODES IN POTATO CUL-
TURE.
Advantages Gained by the use Of Labor.
saving Implements.

Advantages Gained by the use Of Labor
saving Implements.
Within the recollection of most farm
ers, there has been more improvement
in the culture and management of this
crop than in almost all others combined
Take, say, the wheat crop, with the
great improvements now adopted in its
culture and management, for a compari-
son. We see the land broken up with
the sull1y plow and summer followed
with wheel cultivator, wheel gang-plow,
wheel drag and roller, all of which the
driver can ride in using, and sowed with
drill; then it is harvested with reaper OF
self-rake or self f-binder, and threshed
with a steam-power thresher. And after
all, with these improved implements and
methods OF doing this work, it cannot be
shown that wheat is grown and threshed
much cheaper by the acre or by the
bushel by the new than by the old
method when we plowed, dragged and
sowed by hand, harvested with cradle
and threshed with frail or by horse
power machines. Besides, if the small
farmer were to equip himself with these
modern tools he would be subjected to
an annual expense for interest and re-
pairs, about equal to what would be paid
in wages to men doing it by hand. But
by the improved methods adopted in po-
tato culture, planting, tilling and har-
vesting, the work can be done better
cheaper and neater per acre or bushel,
than by the old methods of twenty OF
forty years ago. By the old way, d man
with a hoe could dig the hill to put the
seed into at the rate of an acre a day, and
ii would take man another day after the
pieces were dropped to cover the acre,
But by the new way, with marking
machine and team, man will ride and
make the drills in rows both ways at
desired width and depth at the rate of
twenty-five acres a day; then, after drop
ping the seed, with team and a ma
chine to cover a row at time, six acres a
day can be covered, or with a double
machine ten or twelve acres a day.
Then for summer tillage. instead of |
very rude and primitive cultivating and
hand hoeing all the tilling is now done |
with horses and improved tools, and is
done often enough to insure good, clean
tillage, and twelve acres a day of better
work can be done than half an acre was
done by hand. It requires
about four men to dig an acre day by
hand, but with the best modern potato
ligger a man with a team can run out
his five or six acres a day and do it bet
ier, where the conditions are good for
showing a gain of 100 or 200
per cent. in favor of the modern i'm
proved methods.
In farming this crop the farmer is not
obliged to possess himself of a number
If expensive tools for the different
Of this work, but the marking
,ut and covering and tillage through the
eason and tie digging can all be done
With different attachments of one COM
lined machine, with two horses, the
river riding-and doing two rows at a
ime, but for covering and digging only
ne row is done at time. All the i'm
dement's required for potato culture i
eing thus combined in one, the expense
3 reduced about one-half and the pro-
ucer has not so many different imple-
lents to keep housed. The particular !
dvantages of this machine, compared =
'iih most of those used for this class of !
'ork, are: v
It will do more perfect marking or
Trowing out at any desired depth and r
auge; it is very efficient tool as a v
overer; it will cultivate or shovel-plow
stter, two rows at time and holding !;
self, than a man is able to do single h
Nv with the single cultivator in com h
on use, and the crop will be titled n
can and we'll Then it can dig better Il
Id more in a day than twenty men
N by hand As this combined imple- a
ent for potato culture has been en- !. y
Dyed by practical growers, who find
at by it they can greatly lessen the -
Dor and expense of growing and har- &
sting the potato crop, I have been
us particular in describing it.-HENRY in
Es. Hl ~