The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-19
THE FARM AND THE GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO AGRI-
CULTURIsT AND HOUSEWIFE.


ruary work.
In our section of the country February
is busy month in the garden. In some
respects the most important work of the
year is done in this month. The starting
of plants 10 the cod frames is a feature
of the months work.
Hardy crops, like onions and cabbage,
can be started in the open ground, but
considerable Is gained even with these
by sowing the seeds in the frames. Much
better plants can be had, and quicker,
for the ground may keep cold for six or
eight weeks yet-too cold for germinati4n
and growth even of the hardy plants.
While 1t is plenty early it is not TOO
early to SOW seeds of tomato, eggplant,
pepper. celery, in the frames, taking care
not to have the soil in the frames over
rich ieaick rank growth OF fraoio -tnisc
plants Is not desirable The soil should
be rich in mineral elements, but only a
little nitrogen is needed.
In the southern half of Georgia the last
half of February is the time for planting
that excellent vegetable. the Irish 20
tato"
There are few gardens. large or small,
In which some potatoes are not grown.
for there are few persons who do not like
them as food.
There are a great many poor potatoes
produced nowadays, and. therefore, the
first concern with the grower is to Sc
cure good seed, and unless some little care
is given TO the matter, a poor quality of
l.,
lieve 1t is the rule of Northern dealers
to ship their poorest potatoes South. In
potatoes appearances are very deceiving
oftentiness
Some smooth, sold looking potatoes
many be very defective, unsound at the
core. They may have black spots in the
center or be hollow. When cooked whole,
| this defect may not be detected until af-
ter cooking.
Consumers will not buy such potatoes
if they know or suspect this condition to
exist. Such potatoes may not be unwhole-
some at all after cooking, still one can
not enjoy food anything thus defective.
''Scabby' potatoes show for themselves.
Such potatoes may have all their defects
on the outside, are not unwho,esome when
cooked, but fastidious buyers will reject
these IN favor of smooth potatoes. Scab
is so widespread now IL is not easy to
procure from grocery stores potatoes al
| together free from it. Experienced grow
ers of potatoes are not likely to buy their
seed potatoes from such stores unless the
merchant is one who makes the necessary
distinction and provides also for his Gus
toners special seed potatoes" Where
this is the case a gardener can buy his
seed potatoes from his groceryman, but
not otherwise.
Unless one can buy direct from some
New England or New York grower his
best reliance generally in the South is his
druggist, who combines the seed bust
ness with drugs. In all the small towns
| of the South it is the rule for the drug
| gist to sell seeds and he usually sells
| seed potatoes. In the larger towns and
| cities of course there are regular seed
dealers who supply first class seed po-
| tatoes.
One way or another the grower should
manage to secure good seed potatoes even
| If he has to pay as much as 50 per cent
more. Those who plant largely and do not
| save their own seed begin their inquiries
| regarding the source of supply some
weeks before planting time. The profess
| sional gardener or trucker should by all
means raise his own seed potatoes if pos
sibe. This implies the growing of a Sec
| ond crop the autumn previous.
There is a vast difference in varieties
| and one must be sure to get a variety Tor
two varleties) that suits his particular soil.
! Let one who believes there is little or no
| difference in varieties, plant five or six
kinds or more If possible of standard sort
and see what the result Is. Between the
kind that gives the most satisfaction and
the kind that gives the least (out of that
| number, there will be a tremendous diff
ference-hundreds of bushels. perhaps.
Every year there continues to be in
| troduced new kinds, new names at least
and claimed to be altogether better than
anything ever known before.
| The practical grower does not concern
himself with any of these, but makes his
selection of seed from those that have
been well known for 10 years or more. 1t
is a slow business the general substitu-
| ton of new kinds for old.
| We have planted a great many varie-
ties of potatoes in the past % years and
| we have yet to find a variety that has
| given the same uniform satisfaction that
| the old EARLY Goodrich has. We have
no doubt that this potato is sold under
many different names No one who has
not mace a profound study Of the potato
| for years, can even approximate the
number Of distinct types to which the
I 1000 or more named sorts that have been
catalogued in the past 80 or 40 years. can
| be referred In one type, for instance, to
| which the Goodrich "a long white potato)
| belongs, there may be hupdred, perhaps
| several hundred varieties" or named
sorts that the ordinary observer can see
| no difference between whatever and so Of
| the Dakota Red. Another type is oval in
shape; another, fat another, kidney
shaped Another type is characterized by
| earllness of maturity; another by lateness.
The literature of the potato deals with
these various differences and character
| istics.
The practical grower concerns himself
| only with certain material qualities. The
| information he needs and seeks is what
| varieties are the best for making large
and merchandise crops There is only
one way. He must, try side by side, I'M
der like conditions in every respect, a
| number of the best known sorts-six or a
| dozen, say. This trial plat is a necessity
to the intelligent cuHivator. He may at
the start hit upon a kind that does ex-
ceedingly well, yields large crops, but he
| cannot feel assured that ne is using the
| very best for his soil until he has made,
though II may be in very small way, a
| careful, comparative test OF a number Of
1 A .1slt rrtr~ tla,