The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-02-21
THE Farm,
Lessons of the Potato Competition.

1he award OF prizes IN the potato
class Of the american Ag,iculturist
Prize crop nompetition was published
in =, January number. The complete
story OF the grand prize crop was also
given. The main points in the exper-
fence of several other contestants are
condensed into the following statements.
l. On the soils of the older States,
or wherever mapuring is absolutely es-
sential TO great yields, complete high
grade special fertilizers produce better
results than stable manure. 2. The
cutting Of potatoes to two eyes to set
is the best plan, we'll developed matured
tubers of medium size being preferred,
there were exceptions to this rule the
past year, but for general practice it is
decidedly the best method, 5. The
vitality of seed potatoes is far more
important than has been believed here
tofore, tubers should be given a chance
to start, and all backward or week
sprouts should be rejected. 4 The
trench system of planting, as perfect
by Mr.. Rose and described below,
gives sufficiently batter results to more
than pay for extra labor involved even
when so modified as to have the trench.
es wholly made by the pillow, as is gen
orally practiced on large scale, The
trench system of planting and fertiliz-
ing is superior in results to the common
or old fashioned way
OVER ONE THOUSAND BUSHELS ON ONE
ACRE BY THE ORIGINAL
TRENCH SYSTEM.
The second prize crop was grown
upon system of which MIR. Alfred
Rose was the originator sixty years ago,
and has brought to lis present perfec-
tion by half century of study and ex-
perience. First, it is notable that the
contest acre has been in onions, pota
toes, or corn, uninterrup'edly, for
twenty-five years. Nearly level, sandy
loan, with some gravel, it received an
nually, in 1865-6-7, about ten cords
of we'll rotted stable manure, spread
evenly broadcast after blowing, and
narrowed in deeply and we'll. In 1888,
eight cords of manure were used, the
acre being mostly in onions, the balance
in potatoes In April, 1889, it was
plowed twelve inches deep in narrow
burrows, followed two days later with q
common square, spike tooth harrow,
which does good work on such soil
Half ton of Mapes potato manure was
evenly sowed broadcast before narrowing.
Trenches thirty-tour inches apart
and eight inches deep were then made
by running through and back with a
one horse pillow, and graded, with a
hand hoe, to an even depth of six
inches. The seed, cut to. Two eyes,
was dropped MAY p nine to ten inch IS
apart in the bottom Of the trenches,
making 10000 hills on the acre. They
were carefully covered, with a hand
hoe, with two inches Of s,soil.1 Then
one-quarter Of a ton Of fertilizer was
scattered evenly through ana along the
partly flied trenches. The idea is that
the dews and rains dissolve the lertil-
izer and carry it into the soil as needed,
whereas, if put below the seed, it may
not be dissolved, does less good, and
some Of it may be found at the harvest.
The trenches remain open until the
sprouts are up, when the soil is grad
ually filed in as the plants grow This
plan induces the plant to throw out
lateral shoots that produce extra tubers,
and, by judicious filling in of the soil,
Mr.. Rose says it is possible to get three
tiers of tubers in this way on each hill,
but if the trenches are com pletely filed
at planting these extra tubers will not
be secured.
The varieties were Early Peruvian
Sunlit Star, and Early Ontario. To
insure a good start. the seed was cut
to two eyes about four weeks before
planting, and dusel with plaster
(ground gypsum. AT planting, all
sets we're thrown out 10 which sprouts
were not we'll started, and, remarkable
as it may seem, not hill failed to
grow. Dormant eyes were not used
and seed ends containing many eyes
were partly discarded. This gave not
only full but an even stand, for if one
hill gets much Of stat it will retard it,
neighbors and lessen the crop. Late
paintings between large hills well
started never amount to much, tn,
growth being so dense. Evenness OF
the growth also requires grading the
trenches to one denth. All bu. ahout