The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-03-11
Irish Potato Culture.

Irish Potato Culture.
G.. NJ. Haszinger, of Warren cOun-
ty, Miss, in the Planters Jourpsl:
Feeling it is the duty of each and
every one who tills the soil here in
the south to help along agricultural
Journals and papers (for by so do
ings he helps himself as well as 9th
ers who live in the same section),
have concluded 10 write my expe-
rience in the culture, etc., of these
called Irish potatoes, and right now
is the time; because the first of
February or about that date, is the
best time that l know of to plant
these wholesome tubers. If pub
lished in your January number it
will fall just in time under the eyes
of your many readers. 1t will, per
haps, be of interest to say here that
it is supposed by many that because
potatoes are called "Irish," they
are natives of the Emerald Isle.
That is robbing the Andes noun
tains of their just dues and the hon.
or of having produced in the wild
state, before Columbus put his foot
on American soil, that which is to-
day, and has been for years, "corn
bread and bacon to nearly all the
Old World.
To cultivate this important crop
to the best advantage land | have
tried nearly all methods), l have
found that the seed patatoes ought
never to be cpt. You may exclaiW,
"Wa ste of seed?" but / End, or have
found, that it pays best to plant
them whole, and never use small
ones, if large ones can be had. You
ask for the advantage. 1t is this:
The young potato plant has to live
from the mother potato until it
forms large rootlets, as the little
chich lives during hatching from
the egg that contains it. Cutting
the potato curtails the nourishment
of the young yonng plant, and weak
ems it vlgor and productive power.
Hence, find that whole potatoes
planted in the following manner, as
l have planted in the past, are at
least two weeks sooner, and have
produced with me better tubers and
better keepers, too, than these
planted by others, in the usual way,
by cutting, etc,
Ny mode Of planting is 9s fol
lows:
On or about the first of February,
as soon as the ground can be work
ed, l plant whole potatoes, the fin
est and largest / can get, three
feet apart each way. l do not ridge
up, but place them as fat as posi-
BILE. 1 do this so that there will be
plenty of earth handy to hill up. l
open with a bull tongues and drop
the whole potatoes three feet apart.
l have the burrows three feet apart,
thus leaving the hills three feet
apart each way. As coon as the
plants are five or six inches high,
/ run the bull tongue through, then
hill then hill nicely with hoes about
two or three inches, up to the
plants. 1 hoe all around the planIs
in so doing with a Warren heart
shaped hoe / find this hoe the best
for garden work. AS soon as
plants are foot high run the bull
tongue through oncesmore, and hill
up again with the same hoe all
around the plants; that is the last
work, and my potato patch is now
q number of round hills. l forgot
to state above, that / always cover
the seed potatoes as neat as posi-
BILE with the hoe or iron tooth rake.
The Peerless / find to keep the
best, and sell the best in Hississip-
pi. Those who love a mealy pOta=
to ought to plant the Russell; they
have always produced more with
me than the Peerless, but they do
not pay as well for the reason
Fisrt, they are later; and second,
they do not keep as we'll as the
Peerless. The Peerless potato must
be keptin q dark place. because if
it is kept in the light it turns green
and bitter sooner than others. In
fact, all Irish potatoes want to be
kept in as dark and as cool place
as possible. Never est . green, Bit
ter Irish potato; it is rank poison,
as mnch SO as the deadly night
shade.
In good soil and proper culture,
as above, you will find, as have,
that inside of twelve hills to the
bushel will be the average of Peer
less and Russell. Dig with the spade
if hilled as above; it is an easy job,
and you will have no cut potatoes.
About the time they have their
full growth &c through the patch
from time to time, and see if you
do not find some hills with yellow
vines. If you do, lift them if you fail
to do this, you will find them rotten
when the main crop is ripe. / have
always found some hills ripe, tive,
and even three weeks before the
main crop is ripe, and if / fsiled to
lift them at the proper time, IS
above, i found the last one in such
hills rotton. Dig rs soon as the
vines are yellow, for then they are
ripe and having no longer the
green vines to shade them, they
will ''cook" in the ground and then