574 



PARMER S' REGISTER 



[No. 9 



little value, and also show why its growth is im- 

 possible in our more southern states, or still nearer 

 the equinox. 



Potatoes almost instinctively shun the light and 

 air. These things so indispensable to the perlec- 

 tion of many other things, are most injurious to 

 the potato, and the grand secret of its preservation 

 lies in the most perfect exclusion of these silent but 

 active agents. To perceive the difference bet- 

 tween roots exposed, and those secluded, we have 

 only to take one which has grown partially above 

 prround, and one that has ripened in its proper place. 

 The one will be green on the exterior, hard, hea- 

 vy, and bitter in the interior, while the other will 

 be of the natural color, farinaceous, and fine flavor- 

 ed. Farmers should take lessons Irom these facts, 

 and conform their practice to the teachings of na- 

 ture. In England and Scotland, where most serious 

 complaints have arisen from the failures of the 

 planted tubers, it is acknowledged by all, that 

 roots which are allowed to remain in the ground 

 during the winter never fail of vegetating, and 

 that those secured by pitting are more likely to 

 succeed than those put into cellars, and thus par- 

 tially exposed to light and air. 



The most common method of preserving pota- 

 toes is to put them into bins in the cellar, where 

 they are left without any covering or other prepar- 

 ation, and used as wanted. It is also customary 

 to get in as little dirt with them as possible, and 

 one standard of good farming has been the clean 

 state of a farmer's potatoes when deposited in his 

 cellar. For the reasons given above, and from our 

 own experience, we think both these modes of se- 

 curing potatoes, or preparing them, erroneous. If 

 put into bins, they should be covered as closely as 

 possible from light and air; and if there isdirt 

 enough thrown into the bin to completely fill all 

 the interstices between them, so much the better 

 for the roots. It has been recommended by some 

 potato growers, and the practice is founded in rea- 

 son, to line the sides of the bins with turf, the 

 lowersides placed inwards, and when the bin was 

 filled, to cover it closely in the same way, and with 

 the same material. 



Owing to the severity of our winters, potatoes 

 cannot be allowed to remain where they grow ; 

 else their mealiness and freshness would be much 

 increased by allowing those that are to be used 

 the corning season to remain where they are till 

 the spring opens. Since this cannot be, the me- 

 thod of preservation that approaches the nearest 

 to this will be Ibund the best, and this method 

 doubtless is pitting, or as most of our farmers term 

 it, burying in holes in the field. In burying in 

 tliis way care should be taken not to put too many 

 in a pit, or, in other words, not make the heaps loo 

 large. Twenty or twenty-five bushels is quite 

 enough ; and some prefer even a smaller number. 

 The cone should be regular so as to be covered 

 equally. The covering of straw and earth first 

 put on should not be too thick, as otherwise the 

 roots will heat, and be injuied : but at the latest 

 period allowable, the thickness of the covering 

 should be increased so as effectually to prevent 

 freezing. In covering potatoes in the fall, it should 

 be remembered that the great object of the first 

 covering, is simply to exclude air and light, and 

 preserve them from rain or unlkvorable weather, 

 and the last covering is the one to be relied on as 

 a defence against the frost. If the roots are dug 



and pitted immediately, without unnecessary ex- 

 posure, and if the ground and the process ofcover- 

 ing is properly selected and performed, the pota- 

 toes will come out in the spring, in excellent or- 

 der rather improved than deteriorated by their 

 winter's keeping. 



Farmers who are in the habit of making their 

 pork from potatoes, or feeding them extensively to 

 their stock, will undoubtedly see the propriety 

 from the present high prices, of sorting their roots 

 more carefully than they have hitherto done, in 

 order to sell, or preserve, as many as possible. The 

 apprehended scarcity of this root will also prompt 

 to this course; and should induce all to adopt the 

 best and most effectual measures to preserve 

 through the winter uninjured, or, if possible, im- 

 proved, this root on which so many rely for sus- 

 tenance. 



THE CORN AKD SMALLER CROPS OF NANSE- 

 MOND COUNTY. 



To the Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



Clifton, Nansemond Co. Nov. 15, 1838. 



I have had it in contemplation for several week.^ 

 to address you a ^ew lines, on the stale of the 

 crops of our county; but delayed doing so, until 

 this time, so as to be able to ascertain more cer- 

 tainly and distinctly their real stale and condiiion. 

 We are generally very apt to over-es'imate our 

 crops; it is not safe, therefore, to judire ihem until 

 they are got in, when something like certainty 

 may be arrived at. The corn crop (the staple of 

 our county) has been housed, or nearly so ,' and 

 from the best information I can get, alter diligent 

 inquiry of the most intelligent of our f]irmers, and 

 from my own personal observation, I think I may 

 safely say that it is fully, if not over an avernfjo, 

 one. The prospect at one period was exceedingly 

 gloomy and unpromising ; but, thanks to the 

 Author of all good, our dismal /brebodings have 

 been scattered to the winds. 



The truck crops of the river farms have also 

 yielded well, and sold well. I cannot say, how- 

 ever, that the sweet-potato, which may be jusily 

 ranked next in importance to the corn crop, has 

 been altogether as productive as in former years ; 

 but, considering all things, it has been a fair yield, 

 and is generally a source of much revenue to the 

 county. It comes, too, at a very convenient time, 

 to pay taxes, and to keep the sheriff at a respecta- 

 ble distance. 



It has been estimated by competent judges, 

 that the rel'use, or, if I may he allowed the ex- 

 pression, the offal of an acre of suitable land, well 

 cultivated in sweet potatoes, is worth as much as 

 the same quantity of land would produce in corn 

 — an acre of good and suitable land will ni-ake, in 

 a tolerable season, one hundred and twenty bush- 

 els viarketablc potatoes, which, at filty cents per 

 bushel, (and for two years the price has ranged 

 from fifty-five to seventy-five cents,.) would be 

 sixty dollars — certainly a very handsome profit, 

 admitting the refuse or offal part of the crop to be 

 as valuable as supposed. 



The water-melon crop is also entitled to a pass- 

 ing notice. It is one that is easily cuhivaled, quick 

 over, often very profitable, and has been particu- 

 larly so this year. A gentleman told me that he 



