THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



169 



Ihem to ils contents. And the good opinion en- 

 tertained by even tliese (ew individuals, enligliten- 

 ed and judicious as they are, of our own labors, 

 and (heir coniinued support, are so highly valued 

 as to go very lar to compensate I'or the neglect, or 

 disregard ol" all olhers ol the great northern agri- 

 cultural communiiy. Besides our present corre- 

 spondent, with whom we have but recently been 

 acquainted, (and connectec^ as reader and publish- 

 er,) we may be permitted to mention, among the 

 Jew, but highly valued exceptions to the cause of 

 neglect or contempt of southern agriculture and 

 agricultural publications, loo sweepingly express- 

 ed, the names of Walker, Hulme, and V'anuxem, 

 of Pennsylvania, of Beekman and Wadsworth ol 

 New York, and of Colman of Massachusetts, 

 who have given us highly prized evidences ol 

 their favor ant! approbation, and by whom the 

 readers of the rarmers' Register, as such, have 

 been instructed, or otherwise greatly benefited. 



But still, "the exception proves the rule." 

 While we value very highly the marks of appro- 

 bation, and the long coniinued favor of the very 

 few northern agriculturists or others who have 

 bestowed them on our labors, or on southern agri- 

 culture, (he existence of these (ew facts, and also of 

 the few northern farmers who have visited, seen 

 and appreciated the admirable farming, and en- 

 lightened views of improvement to be seen in some 

 parts of Virginia, serve but to make more striking 

 and remarkable the general opinion, (or total want 

 of all opinion,) entertained in the north, of southern 

 agricultural practices and opinions. It is very tnie 

 that our agricultural practices, in ninety-nine cases 

 in the hundred, are wretched and abominable ; but 

 such is also the case even in the northern states, 

 and still better farming countries. And we of the 

 south at least receive readily the instruction and 

 lights of the north, (for we derive F.Imost all our 

 reading from the north — agricultural, and on every 

 other subject,) while the very existence of south- 

 ern pubhcations is scarcely known to the great 

 mass of northern agricuUuriate. But enough — 

 and we will say no more than to repeat to our 

 correspondent and friend the assurance that we 

 highly value the ft;\v cases of exceptions to which 

 he belongs, and (hat it was very far from an in- 

 tention to count the approbation of such persons 

 as "unsubstantial food." The application for 

 which (his expression was designed, was to high 

 (and sometimes greatly exaggerated) praises ol 

 our labors and our publication, from persons wlio 

 have never given any other evidence of valuing 

 either — and who have not in any other manner 

 aided our exertions, or attempted to advance their 

 great objects, whether as literary contributors, 

 as subscribers, or by using their influence to ex- 

 tend the knowlediie and circulation of the work. 

 Vol. IX.— 11— B 



Such praises, we cannot but rale as "unsubstan- 

 tial food," and count them not much more as 

 evidence of the interest felt by, and the sin- 

 cerity of the utterere, than are (he newspaper 

 pufls of many periodicals, which can be supplied 

 in any quantity, and of any degree of strength, 

 according to order, and either upon purchase, or ex- 

 change, \f not as alms to the begging publisher. 

 In our case, however, we have nev^er been indebt- 

 ed for praise to any of these means ; for, how- 

 ever common the practice, or made legitimate by 

 long usage of the trade, we never have begged, 

 bought, exchanged, or otherwise bargained for 

 any puflf or praise, Irom any quarter, and we too 

 heartily despise the practice, ever to resort to it. 

 Whenever pufling shall be essential to the sup- 

 port of any publication of ours, it will sink at 

 once. — Ejd. F. R. 



ROHAN POTATO. 



From the Western Farmer and Gardener. 



All accounts, both in Europe and in (his coun- 

 try, agree in stating that the increase of this pota- 

 to is remarkably great. It has Iherelore become a 

 prominent article of culiivaiion amongst the tillers 

 yf the soil. Ii was first cultivated by the Prince 

 of Rohan, in the neighborhood of Geneva, and 

 Irom the great returns which these potatoes made 

 ui their products, they soon attracted the atten- 

 tion of (he agriculturists of Europe. In one in- 

 stance, in France, they produced 40 lo!d, and in 

 another 62 lold. 



The remarks of Viscount Alorel-Vinde on the 

 nature, of the Rohan are valuable, showing par- 

 ticularly the best method ol cultivaiing ihem. 



" 1. The Rohan potato." he says, "keeps to- 

 gether its (ubers round the loot ol iis s'em, and 

 this property permits its being earthed up as 

 much as desired. 



"2. It produces its tubers so near the surlace 

 of the earth, that, without earthing up, many of 

 them would show themselves above ground, as- 

 sume a green color, and exhibit a great want of 

 maturity. This property shows the absolute ne- 

 cessity of a large earthing up. 



"3. This potato has need of moisture being 

 around the foot of the stem, the elevated position 

 of the (ubers exposing thera the more to drouoht. 

 It is this property which renders it indispensable 

 to allow its large leaves to remain on the ground 

 for the sake of the shade atiordcd by ihem. 



"4. It carries flowers on almost all the stems, 

 but it bears no apples, which may be explained 

 from the circumstance of the large size of the 

 tubers. The tendency of the sap constantly to- 

 wards the tubers absorbes the elements necessary 

 to the formation of apples, and deprives the plant 

 of this mode of propagation. 



"5. To lorm and ripen (he large tubers, it re- 

 quires to be a long (line in the earth, it ought 

 thus to be the first planted and the last taken up. 



" 6. I shall now speak of (he quality of this 

 potato, that varying according to (he nature of 

 the ground, and as often irom different (aetei; 



