Year: 1868

The potato crop in Maine is very impor


tant one, and no means ought to he neglected
by our farmers to make it still more valuable
every year. Aud the question is, how can
This be done? The disease that has attacked
thls vegetable for several years past has been
great drawback upon its cultivation. Al
though these tubers have been so loug in use,
yet )od ones are always esteemed not only
an essential part of food on every mans table
but also luxury. There are but very few
pefsons who do not like good potatoes. We
never tire of eating them as we do OF some
other kinds of food. Twice almost every day
in the week they must be on the table in the
various modes OF cooking them. This habit
we nave acquitted renders the crop the more
valuable, and hence the Importance of making
all possible improvements in their cultiya-
ton. - ...


We do not propose in this article to discuss
tue question generally, but confine our briei
remarks to the importance of procuring the
pest varieties Tor seed. We can we'll remem
| ber that the Carter and Peach Blow were a
lew years ago highly esteemed; and the for
mer was, in its best days, a most delicate and
| excellent variety. We coulo 90 much farther
back IN time and speak OF other varieties, but
1t is not now necessary. In fact the time has
been when almost every variety was good
and yielded abundanty. But ahat a falling
of there has been! Some OF the best kinds
! raised many years ago are row no more, and
| exist only in the memory of the '.oldest in
habitants." But new varieties have taken
their places, and we hope the time will come
again when we can raise as good ones as
were grown many years ago. .
At our late State Fair we saw some fine
specimens Of the new varieties that reminded
us OF former years, and gave US hope that a
good time for this vegetable was coming. Mr..
Hussey of North Berwick, presented many
different kirds, and all finely grown. We
jud q that Mr.. Hussey has made The growing
OF potatoes specially. He had on exhibi-
tion the Early Rose, the Early Goodrich, the
Early Sebec, the Harrison and several other
varieties, He raised some twelve hundred
bushels of these varieties the past season.
The Harrison sold last year for from five to
seven dollars per bushel, and the Early Rose
was sold by the pound at great prices. We
trust our farmers will see to it, and procure
the seed of the best varieties this fall and net
wait until Spring. o 1t is the wisest policy to
have them on hand and not wait until plant
ing time bef,re they stir about to get them
Now is the time to procure the seed. Some-
farmers acquire habit of postponing certain
work until urged by absolute necessity 10 do
it Not wanting any potatoes for seed nop
as planting time is several months ahead.
they neglect to get it until the week, or per
haps the very day comes when they want to
use it. Such procrastination is not wise
policy. Good seed potatoes may not be so
easily and cheaply purchased next spring as
they can be this autumn; therefore we advise
those farmers who have not grown these best
approved varieties, and have none in their
cellars, to procure them now. As Maine has
kept even step with Vermont in our recent
election, 1T her farmers keep square up with
the Green Mountain boys in the cultivation
OF this important vegetable.