News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-05-22
FARM AND GARDEN.
A Few Points In POtato Culture that Will
be Read with Interest.

notice in the papers frequent com
plants of scabby potatoes. This trouble
is probably due to various causes, bu
not infrequently to wireworms. Some
varieties of potatoes are much more Ii
able to this trouble than others. [ have
seen specimens so badly affected that
the eyes were not discernible and, o.
course, only fit for planting or stoch
feeding. Ny own crops were formerly
subject to much loss from this cause,
but 1 happily found remedy, but il
| costs something It consists in the use
of commercial fertilizers. For the past
five years have used ''potato manure, y
and have no trouble worth mentioning
with scabby potatoes. [ apply six hun
dred to eight hundred pounds per acre.
I propose trying special brands of other
manufacturers this season, little doubt
ing they will produce equally smooth
tubers.
To make the application, furrow my
ground deep with two-horse plow about
three feet apart. I scatter the fertilizer
along the row. 1t should be mixed
with the soil, and to do this by hand is
slow process. have cedar stick six
feet long and six to seven inches through,
from which the limbs wer e cut off, leav
ing stubs three to four inches long all
around the stick. I hitch horse to the
small end and start him through the
row; the stick, roll as it may, is still in
position mixing, pulverizing and smooth
ing the bed of the furrow. At the end
turn the horse, shift the stick and pro-
ceed as before-easy, simple and effec-
tual. The seed is dropped eight to
twelve inches apart, according to the
habit of the variety. I cover with same
plow and team I open the furrows with,
letting the off horse walk in the furrow,
going the opposite way from which it
was opened, holding the plow over on
the side so that the share cuts off the
side of the furrow thrown out, the
mouldboard rolling it down and smooth
ing it in nice little ridge over the seed.
In case of very stony, soddy or stubble
ground, which prevents holding the
pillow in a steady position, go both
sides of a row, which ensures steady
job, but in ground free from any obstruc-
tions one s'bout" to two rows is sufficient.
have had men much older than who
had covered potatoes with plow for
years and knew all about it and were
surprised to find they could still learn
something in this line. When my field
has been by the roadside farmers driv-
ing along have stopped to watch my
operations and sometimes come in the
field to inspect the work and gone off
with new wrinkle. This plan is orig
inal with me, d it is the result of dis
satisfaction with the old methods of
holding the plow erect, and I have never
found any one who knew of any other
way. Possibly others may have learned
the same device; if not, a little practice
will enable them to 10 So
In about ten days or two weeks after
planting, before the potatoes began to
come through, the young weeds began
to appear in abundance. The harrow Is
brought into requisition and the whole
field narrowed level. If after cultivation
is properly and promptly attended to
weeds give but little trouble. The
above methods gave me last season the
following results:
Early Ohio, tests. .21s 2a3 and 224 bn per acre.
Lees Favorite, ' ...303 2s7 and 26l
Early Rose. BIB 2s0 and 10 ..
The first and second tests of the four
first named were all from one field side
by side. The Ohio is not only the
earliest but the best early potato have
yet found. Lees Fayorite, claimed to
be two or three weeks earlier, in this
test was not day earlier than Beauty
or Hebron; perhaps it needs acclima-
tion. Sundry new candidates are booked
for trial this season.-E. WILLIAMS,