1869. 



NEW ENGLAND FAEMER. 



5t3 



by the Savior are "in his Father's house," and 

 which he has gone (o "prepare for us." 



Then, as we are created to progress in 

 knowledge, as well as in purity, the mind may 

 be turned to secular affairs, and get a deeper 

 insight into the things which pertain to our 

 special vocations, so that we may acquire 

 more power over nature around us. This 

 would not only tend to higher enjoyment, but 

 to an increase of profit in our business, and 

 with that the means of a more extended useful- 

 ness to our fcllow-'beings. 



The Months have again rolled round, com- 

 pleting their circle, covering the earth with 

 sustenance and beauty, or coming in grandeur 

 or sublimity,, even, and showing the love and 

 power of Him who rules them all. 



We are in the enjoyment of civil and reli- 

 gious liberty, — a boon not capable of being ex- 

 pressed by any language that we can com- 

 mand, — of a wonderfully extended and fertile 

 country. The ai'ts and sciences have progressed 

 so as to alleviate an immense amount of human 

 toil that our ancestors were subjected to, and 

 all are left free to choose their own occupation 

 and modes of life, and carve out their fortune, 

 scarcely knowing that a law exists, only in its 

 infraction. There never was a more highly 

 favored people. Let us see that our heritage 

 is kept pure for those who are to succeed us. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE POTATO. 



It is now more than two centuries since the 

 potato was domesticated and its value somewhat 

 appreciated. Notvyithstanding this long lapse 

 of time since it was taken from its wild state 

 in South America and literally transformed in 

 its habits and character, it gave no decided in- 

 dication of suffering from the transformation 

 until the present century, nor even then until 

 within the past thirty or thirty-five years. 



True, indeed, is it, that it was subject to ills 

 in common with all other cultivated crops, by 

 reason of unpiopitious seasons, or injudicious 

 culture. In the early part of this century, 

 the farmers of England, and to some extent 

 those of Irela id, were troublf^d with what was 

 there termed the curl. Various reasons were 

 given for the appearance of this disease by 

 those who at that time wrote on the subject, 

 but nothing decisive was ever arrived at as the 

 true cause of the trouble. The most satisfac- 

 tory leasons were the constant planting from 

 the same variety and on the same land, so that 

 potatoes degenerated and at length yielded in- 

 different crops, and over-manuring with green 

 duiig. 



I incline to the opinion that in these reasons, 

 then given for the disease called curl, we have 

 the secret of the cause of our present potato 

 disease. Our whole process of culture is ar- 

 tificial, and Nature seems to resent the injury 

 infiicted upon her. If we would rid ourselves 

 of what is popularly termed the potato rot, — 

 we must go back to first principles ; get the 

 wild seed and begin where the first cultivators 

 began, and we may be quite sure that for many 

 years we shall be safe from the ravages of dis- 

 ease. It will be of little use to sow the seed 

 grown from our present diseased stocks. The 

 constitution is bad, and the progeny will surely 

 inherit the evil. 



I have tried this, and speak from personal 

 experience. About 1842, I put 140 bushels of 

 sound potatoes into the cellar that were only 

 three years remove, from the seed-bill. The 

 whole of them rotted in less than three months. 



As at present situated, we must try to con- 

 form our practice to the well ascertained con- 

 ditions of the patient. The potato, just now, 

 is our "sick man" in the vegetable kingdom. 



The soil, the quantity put in for sted, the 

 food we give them, and the nursmg requisite 

 to insure their well-being, are the important 

 conditions of successful treatment. 1 believe 

 it is now conceded that heavy wet lands should 

 be avoided, and choice made of good, strong 

 mellow soils that will make a crop of fair } ield 

 without manure. I am aware that 1 lay my- 

 self liable to be assailed for this condemna- 

 tion of manure in cultivating the potato, but I 

 am certain that abundance of facts serve to 

 prove that it has been one of the greatest 

 causes of the disease, by stimulating to an un- 

 healthy degree. 1 have used various kinds of 

 manure, and none at all. in experiments to test 

 this point, and am satisfied that immunity from 

 the rot is to be found, if at all, in the ab- 

 sence of fertilizers. 



1 have known large fields of potatoes in one 

 night to turn black and emit in the morning a 

 most disgusting stench, — while in an adjoining 

 lot, planted with the same seed, the crop ma- 

 tured and was marketed sound. On inquiring 

 into the reasons for the condition of these 

 crops, I found that green stable and slaughter- 

 house manure was used un the lot tbat lotted, 

 and that the healthy field received no manure 

 of any kind. It was pastured in previous 

 years and was in good condition for makmg a 

 crop. 



As to the amount of seed we should use, I 

 think there need be no serious question wiih 

 those who are familiar with the published re- 

 ports during the past few months of the re- 

 sults obtained in using very little seed in the 

 expeiiments with the Early Rose and other 

 new varieties. The yield obtained is far be- 

 yond the usual average, and in every instance 

 that has come under my notice, but one eye 

 has been used in a hill. If these results are 

 so, what is to be gained by putting in whole or 

 even half potatoes as many do .'' In 1855 or 



