Middletown transcript., 1910-02-12
MARERT GARDENING
This laterasting SabIect Was Discussed
by James T. ShaIlcfOSs, Jr.,

Nd, Mr.. james 7. ebailcross Jr.,. one 0
our progressive and up.to.date younI
farmers. made che following interesting
address.
The Hrsl thing that shall mention
under shis subject 10 pure seeds. IknoV
Of no other one evil that has caused merC
encouragement and failures than sdulter
Ssed esede. For instance, you may buS
quasGity Of seeds shat look alike bui
when you come to harvest them you find
you have at least six different varieties,
besides liberal quantity Of weed seeds.
purchaser Of seeds should buy from "a
reputable seedsman and always beware oi
CEsap seeds, they may be very dear in
the end. Good seeds are cheap at any
price. In Purchasing asparagus seeds or
crowns the planter should use the greatest
possible care, ss mistake in these would
I-mesn. trouble for the full life Of the bed.
/ shall mention few crops that could
be grcwn most proftably by the farmers
OF our peninsuls, namely, potatoes, celery,
eabeage, sweet corns and rhutabagoes.
Any Of the last four may follow early
potatoes.
Sweet corn for the last few years has
been selling readily for rs cents TO $l.25
per hundred in eur nsaEby markets.
When We consider that 70 can raise 5000
stalks per acre, with probably 1000 ears
at IS cents per hundred, Il would equal
$3.50 per acre, With no extra fertilization
providing the potatoes preceding were
literally fertilized. Ia order to follow
sweet corn after potstoes the potatoes
should be dug July first. usually make
my last planting Of sweet corn from July
4th to 10th.
Cabbage may follow early potatoes with
good results. 1t requires $500 plants per
acre, set feet by Is inches, and should
twothirds make heads at cents per
head, it would total $3.50 per acre.
Celery is not as extensively grown on
the peninsula as il could or should be.
Celery set in rows 81 feet wide and 6
inches apart in tbe row would require
25, 200 plants per acre, and ct the very
low rate Of / cent per crown, it would
equal s252 have sold Il for 6 cents a
crown. I, personally, know q trucker
who plants from 2Oto 80 miles Of celery
yearly with very pleasing results.
Rhusabaaosa in aiaYosable season make
good, showing. In 1908 / harvested
1900 Truck baskets Of them, from acres
that he'd produced 400 bushels Of potatoes
has esne year.
The potato was probably introduced
nto Virgins aud North Carolins between
he middle and last Of the 10th century,
and 10 now the most universally used of
any known vegetable. The city Of Phila-
delphia. consumes daily $1,000 bushels
and in the courss OF year il consumes;
ls, 250. 600 bushels, snd why should we,
the farmers on this peninsula. let the
Maine potato grower supply the greater
part Of this ls, ,000,00O buahels2 They
can raise no more, no better, no cheaper
potatoes than we, can, providing We 60 ct
il like they do. I cannot imagine more
pleasant or instructive trip than through
Maine during the potato growing season.
On ] acre ene year raised 400 bushels,
Of fine. potatoes. In 1908 ! had ;;l6 acres.
averaging 100 bushels per acre. In 1909
IS acres averaging 10 bushels per acrs.
{ The first thing to consider when getting
ready 10 plant potatoes is the sesd.S No
matter what variety you plant be sure
they are truesto name, otherwise part of
your crop will need more attention when
part Of them are ready TO dig. I had this
very experience last year. One should
decide whether be is going to plant early
pr late varieties. / prefer the early as
they ere lees liable to blight-the greatest
enemy She potato has.
In selecting the ground for q potato
patch one should avoid bottom lands aud
hilIsidee. A good clover or COW pea sod
plowed seven or eight inches deep, and
well worked to the bottom Of the furrow,
makes an ideal plaza to plant potatoes.
Spring plowed ground waEsls- up better
and the potatoes ssem to stAst sooner than
on fall ploWed land.
+ A sharp drag haefoW % weeder is
good thing to-rGn over patch until the
plants are couple -oi inches high. Some
authorities say use Q wesder erose-wise
until the potatoes are 9 or 10 inChes high. |
The first and second cultivation should
be moderately deep, ahsD continue shall
low cultivation until she growth Of the
vines make it impraetiable.-
Iuse the Iron Age planter. making the
rows so inches wide and dropping pieces
IA inches apart in the rows. using 5 bar
;rels per acre. I like good siEsd potato
and cut one eye 10 spiece.
j. A good potato fertilizer is one that will
;analyze 4 per cent. ammonia, per cent.
Iphosphoric acid and 10 per cent. potash
I sprayed With Bordeaux mixture and
Paris green, .but have nos DONE this as
extensively . I hOpeto do inthe future.
Here are some Ggures regarding the
cost Of spraying and che profits derived
stheFeGrcm. The following experiment
was cassied on by J. Y. Salisbury & Son,
Phelps, N. T., in 1903. The total ex-
pensa Of spFsying Is acres 8 times was
$56,76. She Items being as iollows:
504 lbA copper sulphate ct 8 css... $50 "a
8 bushels lime at IS cse............ 2 so
l2lbs. white arsenic at 81 cts...... 66
66 bours' labor for man At 173 cts 9 65
47 honrs' labor for tsain az l73 cts 20
SIS 76 |
Cost Of spraying per acre for each appli-
cation was so 0censs.
Yield Of sprayed rows per acre.: f47 bu. |
Yield ofunspssyed rows, per acre. So bd. |
= Increase in yield per acre...... "a bu.
A coed showing. considering that there |
Was NO blight this year. y So.
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