Daily Republican., 1890-01-31
POTATO RAISING.

The recent potato contests for prizes
offered by the Rural New Yorker aud by
the American Agriculturlst have served
~ bring ont some valuable Information,
To give some "polnters"; but at the same
time II will not do 10 draw too defnits
conclusions from a single trial. For ex-
ample, what ID shown relative 10 the use
of manures7 The first r. N. Y. prize,
500, wss awarded TO Mrs. Eliza Day.
johnson county, Wyoming. The plot
was one-twentieth OF an acre, yield at the
rate Of 1,0l53S bushels per acre, and she
says mo manure or fertilizer WAS used. !"
OF course the ground WAS IN good condl-
tion. 1t had been in straw berries for
three ycars previously and yielded fair
average crops. Well, we know Wyom-
Ing Is good potato country, but this 0ns
plot does not teach us much about the
use OF fertiliEcrs. The second pr re, $50.
was awarded Miss Mary Rusk, Madison
county, Illinois, Yield at the ratio Of 070 %
bushels per acre on onc-fourtieth OF an
acre. No manure or fertilizer Was AZ
piled.
The land had been In cabbage and
Tomatoes, tho previous yesr; the year
before that In turnips, and for three year,
before that II had been hog pan. Ii
both these cases the soil WAS dry, sandy,
naturally we'll drained. Tne third prize
WAS won by Miss Emma Hissam, Steele
county Minnesota, yield at the rate o.
925 bushels per acre on one-twcntieth o.
an acre. The land had been In wheat fol
the three previous years and had yielded
fifteen bushels per acre. In the fall O
1888 two loads Of horse manure and one
OF chip dirt were plowed under, and NJ
other fertilizer or manure was used. Tn,
writer says II she were TO engage II
smother contest Of the kind she snOult
use wood ashes and chip dirt. Tho fourtl
prize was won BY Mrs. Covell, Of Fri
county, Ohio. who raised 1t the rate Q
020 bushels per acre on sandy soil whicl
had been 10 strawberr!es for some years
and load Of hen manure applied for til
p,tstoes.
Aud 90 the report goes ON, swing ii
como cases little man are, some much
some none. All these were planted OH ID
Rural New York trench system; all tn
large Yields were from wcll-drained soil
and all had good care and cultivation
Now we turn TO tie American Agricul
turist contest. These prizes were for ons
acre fields, and the nrst prize Of $50 wa
won by Charles u. Coy, Pressure Isle
Aroostook County, Maine, on NATURAL
dry ciaysy loan on an old sod turned uu
der the previous autumn; and eleve
hundred pounds Of stockjridge pctat
manure was applied and no other ferti
ixer. The condition caused IT 10 win ais
the 5000 prize offered by tho mauula'
turer OF the Stockbridae manure. II
yield was 1888 bushels, 20 pounds OF pot;
toes. The second prize WAS won BY A
fred Ro.e, of Yates Oouaty, N. T., on
yield Of $40 bushels per acre, fertilixs
with the Mapes complete potato manur
The third prize went to r. s. Wiggiu,
Aroostook County, Maine, the crop
5S7x bushels being raised on Stocl
bridge msnures. The fourth and nit
prize, also went to crops raited on sreci
: manures. But We must remember,
considering this part OF the subject, til
n special Inducements were offered In th
1 series OF prizes to use those special IN
nures; and so, while we acknowledge tn
. large crops can be raised In this way,
/ by no means follows thkt their use
, neither necessary to profitable crops, n
. an Insurance that the crop raised upt
, them will be profitable TO all. The co
! tests demonstrate forcibly the fact th
I under favorable conditions very large 81
i presumably very profitable crops may
produced. Legitimate conclusions Gu
. not be safely extended much beyond Il
statement.