The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-11-07
TESTS IN POTATO CULTURE.
A Comparison of the French System with
the Ordinary Method.

A Comparison of the French System with
the Ordinary Method.
A few years ago considerable interest
was aroused by the accounts Of wonder
full yields of potatoes obtained by
method Of culture known as The Rural
New Yorker trench system. The system
derives its name from the fact that it
was first used at the trial grounds of The
Rural New Yorker and was advocated
by the editor of that paper, Mr.. e. S.
Carman. The system consists essential
ly in planting the tubers in trenches five
to seven inches deep and q to Is inches
wide, the bottoms of which are well
pulverized covering to the depth of
about two inches, then applying any
desired amount of fertilizer in the
trench, after which the trenches are fill
ed so that the surface shall be level.
Now, it has been the practice of w
M Munson of the Maine station for sew
eral years to plant in burrows, applying
/ fertilizer broadcast over the surface of
! the ground, for there is little doubt that
| the old custom of "hilling" potatoes is
worse than useless---it is positively in
! furious to the crop on dry soil. 1t has
seemed doubtful, in view Of the fact that
the roots of the potato extend i'll all di
rections, filing the whole space between
tho rows, whether placing the fertilizer
in a trench only could DO as rational or
in practice as satisfactory as the other
method.
In the paper referred to and also in
book recently published, "The New Po-
tato Culture, the statement is made
that Gin every trial the land laid out in
trenches, whether with or without fer
tilizer or manure, has largely outyielded
that planted according to the old method
of hills or burrows " In an issue of The
Rural New Yorker of recent date is a
detailed account of a comparison of the
two methods as conducted on the
grounds of the originator Of the trench
system. From this trial the following
conclusions were drawn: There is diff
ference of the total yield per acre Of
only one-half bushel in favor of the
trenches, but of the marketable potatoes
there is difference of over II bushels
per acre in favor of the trenches. ''The
yield of small potatoes (unmarketable)
Of the burrows is 16. 70 bushels per acre
greater than that of the trenches. -
The work of the Maine station to de-
termine the comparative merits of the
trench system versus the ordinary cul-
ture, planned without the knowledge
that similar work was being undertaken
elsewhere, is detailed in bulletin just
issued. The results therein reported are
in a measure opposed to conclusions con.
corning the trench system which have
heretofore been published. In summing
up the matter Mr.. Munson says: "Wt
would not, however, condemn the
method without further trial, though il
is but just to say that certain parties
quoted as obtaining specially marked
results from the trench system have dis
carded this method in general practice
1t is questionable whether the results
obtained will justify the extra labor in
volved in practicing the trench system
of potato culture In our trials the pas
season duplicate lots In every instance
produced contradictory results, I"