Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-02
Raising Potatoes in New Jersey.

Our practice In planting potatoes Is to
drop them in the hill or drill, and after a
quantity has been planted to cover them
with the pillow. This spring we planted
about a bushel Of seed before noon and
left them uncovered. At noon we con
tinued planting, and shortly after cover
ed the seed with the pillow. A part of
those planted before noon failed to come
up, and some of those that did were
spindling. When harvested for the same
number Of drill there were seven bushels
where left longest uncovered, and twelve
bushels where the seed were soon covered
after planting. We planted thirty bush
els of seed, but there were none left I'M
covered so long as the first mentioned,
and the whole planting came up well ex-
cept the first planting.
So it would seem that potato seed
should be covered at the time of planting
as some do with their feet, or if with the
pillow, as soon after planting as possible.
The sun at the time was very strong and
few clouds, SO the seed must have dried
up, which was most likely the caase of the
diminished yield, yet we have left the
seed uncovered for some time before,
without its being damaged. Most likely
on these occasions it was for shorter
cool and cloudy.
We buy AID use every year seed brought
from Maine, as We think that new seed
succeeds the best, and we find that Maine
seed is the least sprouted at planting
time; in fact sometimes there is no ap-
pearance of sprouts.
We try to cut one-eye pieces, putting
two pieces in the hill or one piece
| &ha lriIE {rr- 10
have as much potato rs possible with the
cutting, for we find that when there is
only small cutting they come up spiDdi-
ing. By chance some eye pieces will have
little more than the skin; those we throw
away, for we find that almost always they
are of no value for seed. We consider
that the sooner they are planted after
they are cut the better they come up.
| We have practiceG buying seed from
Maine for the last ten years; previous to
! that time we used our own seed, planting
! whole potatoes the size of hens eggs. A
| very large part of each crop from our own
seed was too small for market. We oc-
casionally select bushel of the very best
tubers from the crop at harvest tint and
plant them, but the yield from our own
seed from the same length of drill or
VI uIllS 10 dUOuL OIS u1 OuoncioJ W
twelve from Maine seed. In my locality
| farmers who grow potatoes for market
| buy and use seed from Maine.
! I do not know whether some kinds are
less subject to scab than others this
season; half the seed planted was early
rose, the other half early Hebron. There
was large quantity of the Hebron scab-
by, while the rose was almost free from
scab. Our practice is to plant as early
/ as possible after the frost is out of the
ground. Three years ago we had plant
ed about tWo-thirds of the seed, and fear
ing that if we finished planting we would
be late with our early corn, we planted
the corn and then finished planting
potatoes. There was an interval of ten
days betxeen planting the first two
thirds and the last third. At harvest
time we dug from the same length of
drill three bushels of large potatoes from
the seed first planted, and two bushels
from the last planted. The difference
in the yield was caused by the late plant
ed being caught in a drouth at critical
| time in their growth, which the first
planted escaped. A large quantity of
the Hebron had Jumps of various sizes
growing out of them, injuring them for
market, while the rose was free from
them. The rose had a second growth on
| the ends which was easily removed, and
did not hurt them for market. Perbep s
| the Jumps on the Hebron may be second
growth and caused probably by heavy
/ rains.