Year: 1859

HOW 10 Have GOOQ POTATOES.


FRIEND HARRIS If the farmers that
seemed to feel so we'll over their potato
crops year ago in writing ont their ac-
courts of yields, &C., will now write out
their accounts for the same crop in 1858,
how will their accounts for the same crop
in 1858, how will their account stand COM
pared with 1857? l am willing to SUBJ
nit my account: The weather was so wet
all last spring, that 1 could neither sow or
plant with much prospect of success, and
so held back until about the middle of the
month, when a few days of fair weather
dried my ground, so that l commenced
blowing for corn; got part of it planted,
when drenching rain drove me from the
field. Then waited for it to dry off again,
and finished planting corn on the Oath of
the month; and plowed for potatoes, and
begun TO plant on the 25th Of the month,
of the South American variety, or called
by some the Chill potato.


We planted an acre and half of that
variety, and half an acre of Rocky Noun
tain, Scotch Grey, Blue Neshanoc and
Mexicans, cultivated all alike. Part of the
soil was yellow clay loam, pretty well ma
nured, broken the year before from pas
ture sod with double Michigan plow, or
10 inches deep, and cultivated in corn
We planted six bushels of potatoes to the
acre after this manner: We cut them so
as to leave but one or two eyes to piece,
and dropped the pieces about five inches
apart in the furrow made With one-horse
cast plow; and when dropped, turned the
furrow back upon the seed dropped, and
the planting was done. We completed
the planting of said two acres, 29th of the
month; of fcouse, so late that we could not
expect much of a crop.


1 have learned, by experience, that warm
wet weather, after potatoes are planted, is
very fatal to the seed and young plants;
and thrt furrow along side OF the row
has a tendency to keep the seed dry and
in growing order. Hence / contend that
a plow is the right tool to cover potatoes
with; and in level country the rows
should be run from upper to lower side of
the field so that all surplus water can east
ly escape.


When the young plants were large
enough, we worked them twice in row
with a one-horse harrow and double shovel
plow. After a few weeks they were work
ed twice in a row with the one-horse plow
and double shovel, with little hand pull
ing of weeds, completed the cultivation.
The South Americans gave a good yield
for any season. We measured off half
acre, and dug from it 13O bushels of large,
uice potatoes, that were worth rs cents
per bushel, amounting to nearly 800, as
the product of one-half acre. The cost of
cultivation was not over S., including dig
ging, &c, as we rolled them up with
plow. This half acre was the yellow clay
loan. The black loan did not produce so
well, but the South Americans all made
good Weld. The other varieties in COM
parison-didn't pay rent for the ground.


: am satisfied that there is nothing in
the size of the potato for seed-whether
large or small-whether the eye is taken
from the body of the potato or from the
seed end as some call it, or whether a large
piece of the potatoe is cut, in connection
with the eye, or very small piece; but it
nearly all depends upon the season and
cultivation, to guard against excessive wet
and severe drouth. A furrow each side
of the row leads off all surplus water, and
a continued row, with ridge each side of
the row,in deep, pulverized, productive soil,
is the best protection against drouth. And
use the Chilis or South Americans for seed,
and plant as early as the season will ad-
init, and success will be almost certain.


JOSEPH MosHER.


Mt GIead, 1st No. 9th, 1859.