Year: 1872

SEED P67aroD. Eron4he Sacramen
b Union we copy this :


The season of potato. plhnting is a
hand, and ass various opinions are en-
tertained ins regard to the s4leetionio
seed, We give the results of scveraFex
periments conducted by us. with a view
to settling certain questions in our mint
relative thereto. We planted four row.
across a narrow field with. the smallest
and four rows with the largest potatoes
from the same sack, and four rows from
them of medium size, using the same
weight of potatoes for each experiment
They were cultivated precisely alike
and the potatoes were dug when ma
tured on the same day. The result was
nearly a complete exempli6cation oi
the rule that like produces like" We
had but very few large or very few small
potatoes, comparatively, from the seed
Of medium size; but a larger yield by
1872 pounds1 than from the very large
seed, and 16S pounds more than from
the small seed. From the large seed
we obtain a very few large potatoes, a
fair proportion of, modium size with a
great many small ones; whilst the small
seed produces a very large proportion
Of small, few of medium size and
enly Ease ard there one that could be
called large.


Another experiment was made at the
same time, using cut and uncut seed,
with thirty pounds, of large uncut pota-
toes against twenty pounds of the same
large ones cut in quarters, but occupy
ing the same number of rows, of course
scattering the seed more in the row.
The result was hardly perceptable diff
ference in the size as between the. two,
but the twenty pounds of cnt seed pro-
duced eighty-twe. pounds more than the
large uncut seed This was conclusive
that in planting very large potatoes too
much seed was given to the single bill
or place in the row. Again, potatoes of
medium size were cut in halves, the seed
ends as they are called, being that end
containing the largest number of eyes
closely set together, though producing
greater number of stalks to the hill, gave
also more in number of potatoes, but
smaller than those from the butt or
hrger end of the tuber, and less in
weight by forty-six pounds. The vari-
ETY. of potatoes for the experiment was
the pinkeye. The general result would
seem to be, taking into consideration the
time and trouble of cutting the seed, in
tavor of planting whole seed of medium
size, and next to this, cutting them In
halves. A further experiment was made
in which only the eyes with a small
quantity of the potato attached were us
ell, and though good potatoes resulted
from the growth of the largest eyes, very
many of the smaller ones rotted in the
ground or produced only feeble shoots,
with corresponding small potatoes.


ABoUr SMALIpox.-It is said that the
spread of smallpox. one of the most
contagious diseases known; may be
easily prevented, and the danger to per-
SONS residing in the same house with a
smallpox patient may be in great
degree averted by observing the follow
ing simple rules: The patient should
he completely isolated from all other
persons of the House except the nurse.
Carbolie powder or chloride of lime
should be sprinkled before the door Of
the room occupied by the patient.
Garbolic powder, moistened with q lit
tie water, should be placed in the room
also. The nurse should never leave
the room without washing thoroughly
with carbolic soap, and changing the
clothes worn while attending on the
patient. All bedding used in the room
should be destroyed as soon as the pa
tient leaves it, and the chamber thor
euehly cleaned with disinfsctants. The
clothes worn by the patient while suf-
fering from the disease should also be
destroyed. Vaccination should also be
extensively made use of.


To KEEP Nails FROM RUsrINa.-A
scientific journal says: When nails are
used in a position in which they are
greatly subject to air and moisture, it
will always pay to prepare them in such
manner they will not rust. This may
be accomplished without any difficulty
by heating quantity of nails on a
shovel, and throwing them while quite
hot, into a vessel containing coarse oil
or melted grease. The nails should not
be SO hot that the grease will be made to
smoke freely. Cut nails prepared in
this manner are improved in every re-
spect. They are rendered tougher and
they will outlast any kind of wood, even
though buried in the ground; while un-
prepared nails are completely destroyed
by rust in o very short time.


PUMPKINS FOR 1NFLAMMAToRY RHEuadA-
T1sM.-At recent meeting of New
York Farmers Club, a correspondent
4. e