Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-29
POTATO CULTURE

w8nR Pefnfoea and PreparinR the Ground
= Thcm-aEort keonomieni aGesh0d. Csc.

GIVEN IN NIX HGNtkN IVES
vinR Pefntoes and Preparing the Csround
b Thcm-aEoat Economical aIesh0d. Esc.
n old COW pasture eighteen years IL
Is and bushes. The latter were
bbed out and the turf plowed under
be fall In order 70 get tough turf u
her Quack or other grass into proper
b for q good seeded this Is much the
ter way, and IN many cases about the
v way. BY such exposure Of the
"a turned turf to the winters frosts
tough grass roots are partially dead
VI and loosen their hold in the sol,
the furrow Is settled so that BY the
ing It viii bear heavy stroke Of till
without danger of pulling up clods
The old turf; and being already plowed
time can be had for repeated cultivat-
SO as to insure the principal subdu-
of such q turf loo before being
nted, or, as some good farmers say,
" "cnltivate potatoes before planting
MIN the long run most economical
nagement for all planting grounds.
4 Is about the way ] fitted the three
3 lot under consideration, and Of late
RS have more time TO do this fo1
potato crop than for any other, be-
se since the advent of the Colorado
tie / plart potatoes rather late and
reby partially avoid their depreda-
ns. This lot was planted June 5.
although / do not usually recommend
ing seed much time before it Is
Be planted, still In this case IL was
essary to prepare some ahead, and
was done by putting the potatoes,
al time, seed end foremost,
nigh q machine made for the pur-
turning the crank with one hand
handling the potatoes with the other,
cut the tubers in about equal pieces.
how that it is quite practicable to
good Job by machine and at a given
re as to size of piece, have only
all attention TO the fact that the
are distributed over the sur
Of the tubar In q few rows
spiral coil along It's entire
th in as perfect order as almost any
II In nature; and next, that any
en sized piece Of potato Except from
two ends) will almost invariably con-
a given number of eyes, and have
proven by thorough tests that q
lie eye of the stem ends will furnish
II with as good q stand Of potato
as the many eyes on the same sized
Be from the seed end of the same
ato, all showing conclusively that
ven sized piece Of seed potato is more
hble ia giving q proper amount Of
for bill than q given number Of
are.
in carrying out this principle If
i two eyes for q hill Gas / usually do)
B what sized piece out Of the body OF
potato would average TO give me the
eyes, and this with such kinds as
the form Of the Rose or the Bur-
K find is obtained by first dividing
ediun-sizcd potato lengthwise, and
emitting these into pieces an inch
or, as the machine cuts, first In an
longsitudinally and then of later
making the pieces for seed TO aver
two eyes each, better than they
lily viii when cut by hand. And be-
b, such given size and shape makes
lnachine-cut seed much the best to
die, especially for machine planting.
{ of the potatoes being medium
4 and of the long varieties, when cut
bove into seven-eighths Of an inch
me inch pieces, and planted three
apart, viii require eight 10 ten
bells of seed to the acre, and from
ely observing the result, after thus
hing hundreds OF bushels Of seed the
few years, / can find no opposition
his plan Of management.
he ground was prepared for the seed
giving it thorough plain tillage like q
mer fallow. and not marked out.
ntime took potato planter which
ade years ago, which planted IN drills
boy feeding IN the seed as it went
& for the rows. This year attached
ring to run an endless belt with cups
to fetch up the seed from the bot
Of the hopper at intervals OF twenty
les, discharge them down q hollow
tooth which opened the ground to
a depth aa was desired, eft the
there. as the wheat drill tooth does,
was Immediately followed by two
blades, 50 hung converging as to
& the earth again from q few inches
side Of the rear Of this tooth back
b and over the seed that had been
osited ct the bottom Of this tooth
K, thus putting the seed about q or
ehes into the ground and then COW
4 It at 81 10 inches, which was,
y, well pressed down by q broad
81 passing directly over the ridge Of
drilled row. This latter marks the
so distinctly that one can readily
w them TO do one tillage before they
np, or, as did this lot, twice over
re the potatoes showed above
md.
bis was 50 tough Q turf that an extra
mt Of tilIage was needed to SO sub.
it that the crop might get some Of
benefit Of its vegetable manure and
Ia, made By the rotting Of the old
and making what Is generally sup
q to be the very best conditions for
potato crop. TO reach this turf
e it lay several inches below 80
ice, required deep tillage and Is it
d not answer to do that after the
oes had sent their roots foraging
ngh these spaces was Obliged %
and do the deep tillage in the
stages Of their growth, and as the
nor Nnfkivnhnv fr,nfh nrrfT xtrA 10