NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



77 



For the New England Farmer. 

 POTATOES. 



Mr. Cole : Much has hcen written, and many 

 theories advanced, upon the cultivation of the po- 

 tato ; and yet^ after all that has been done, I think 

 the mass of farmers are in an unsettled state as to 

 the best and most profitable mode to bo pursued 

 under all circumstances. There arc doubts as to the 

 kind of seed, -whether large, middling, or small, 

 should be used, cut or whole ; whether to put one, 

 two, or more pieces, or whole potatoes, in a hill ; to 

 plant in hills or drills close together, or far apart, in 

 some cases even to four feet ; whether to earth up, 

 or leave the ground level, &c., &c., to the end of the 

 chapter. It is not my intention to express an opinion 

 on all the points in this communication, but to men- 

 tion what api>cars to me to be the most important of 

 all, and state some facts in my own experience, with 

 the hope of calling out others on this subject. 



We have probably all noticed that where small 

 potatoes, or seed from the ball, were planted, in a 

 good, favorable soil, which was well adapted to the 

 growth of the potato, the tendency has been to an 

 increase of size, so that from the seed, in two or 

 three years, large potatoes have been produced- Po- 

 tatoes not weighing more than one or two ounces, on 

 such soils, have produced not only large potatoes, but 

 large crops in a single year. These facts lead me to 

 the conclusion that the most itnporta>it point is to fit 

 the soil in such a manner as that the potato shall 

 find all the elements necessary to its growth, in 

 abundance, within its reach, from the time the first 

 sprout starts until it is ripe. This being the case, and 

 a sufficient amount of moisture being supplied, I 

 apprehend it would make but little difference, pro- 

 viding the planting was early enough, whether a 

 sprout, or S7nall or large potatoes, or cut potatoes, were 

 used. At any rate, I am fully satisfied there would 

 not be such a diversity in results, in experiments, as 

 we now have. If the foregoing conclusion is correct, 

 then farmers have something to do, in order to go 

 intelligently to work even in the cultivation of the 

 potato. They must know what food it requires, in 

 what proportion their soils are destitute of the neces- 

 sary food, and sujjply it. This will bring into active 

 exercise science, experience, and close observation. 

 Certainly, Mr. Editor, farmers have som.etliing to do, 

 if they do not mean, to be behindhand in their em- 

 ployment. 



To those who cannot avail themselves of the aid 

 of science, experience and observation, if attended 

 to, will be of great help. 



Several years ago a neighbor of mine gave me a 

 potato of the Carter variety, which is not considered 

 the most prolific, Avcighing, I think, something less 

 than three quarters of a pound, which I cut into 

 nine pieces, and planted in the garden, in a drill, the 

 pieces ten or twelve inches apart. The yield was 

 thirty-six pounds. After trying a few to test their 

 quality, the remainder, amoimting to about thirty 

 pounds, were saved till the next spring, and planted 

 (after having been cut into single eyes) on an old 

 pasture, about three feet apart, one eye in a hill, 

 about one half manured with a small quantity of 

 long manure jiloughcd under th(! sward, and the 

 other half without ntanure, all asked with perhaps 

 a tablespoop.ful in the hill. The yield from the 

 thirty pounds was full thirty bushels, four eyes 

 selected producing one half bushel of potatoes. 

 That was certainly a great yield, for the amount of 

 seed, for Attlel)orough. (I do not know but j'our 

 neighbor of the I'loiighman will dispute my meas- 

 ure, but I can assure him it was fair.) 



Experience and observation here will lead us to 

 conclude that old pastures are good for potatoes if 



the location is right. The pasture referred to had 

 not ijrobably been ploughed for forty years, and 

 although it did not produce much feed, yet it was 

 well prejiared for the potato crop. 



The question may be asked, Why are old pastures 

 so well adapted to the growth of the potato ? The 

 answer may be, mainly. Because the ground is well 

 filled with urine, and otherwise well manured by the 

 solid manure from the cattle. There may be other 

 reasons, but these, no doubt, are the principal. 



This view of the subject will bring us to the bam, 

 for the application of manure Avell saturated with 

 urine for our great dependence, to bring about the 

 desii'ed object of fitting the land not only for the 

 potato, but for all our other crops. We have many 

 other helps, but they should not be wholly substi- 

 tuted for this. I find I have hardlj- touched upon 

 this subject as I intended when I commenced this 

 communication ; but if it will bring out the views of 

 others, I shall be satisfied, and I may resume it at 

 some otlicr time. Yours respectfully, 



S. M. STANLEY. 



West Attleborougu, Feb. 7, 1850. 



Eemaeks. — We hope that "our correspondent will 

 pursue this subject, and give us his views on the 

 effects of hilling potatoes on dry as well as wet land ; 

 also on deep and shallow planting, in regard to its 

 effects on the potato rot, and on the amount of the 

 crop. His success in fai-ming gives importance to 

 his views founded on experience. — Ed, 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CLOSE FEEDING. 



Mr. Editor : There is no better way of ascertain- 

 ing and arriving at the fact of a particular case, than 

 by proving it by experience. In this way I have 

 found out that it is an easy matter for a farmer to 

 keep too much stock on his farm for profit. Many 

 farmers labor under a great mistake in thus over- 

 stocking their land. A farm that is amply sufficient 

 to keep six cows, and no more, is too often burdened 

 with nearly double that amount ; and by so doing, the 

 farmer is not only the loser in a pecuniary point of 

 view, but his farm, the while, is decreasing in value, 

 by too close feeding. A farm that will only keep six 

 cows in good order is not capable of keeping eight in 

 the same condition, without extra feed from the meal 

 chest, and (in my opinion) this will not pay, for the 

 common run of farmers. Nine years ago the coming 

 spring, I commenced farming, and thought I knew 

 something about the business, (although I soon found 

 that I was but a raw hand.) 



The first season the farm was managed in partner- 

 shi]) ; a horse, yoke of oxen, and three cows were 

 kept on the farm, although the horse and oxen were 

 not suffered to graze in tlie pastures. The three cows 

 paid a fair profit, and kept in good condition. The 

 second year things were managed in pretty much the 

 same way ; and the third year I purchased my part- 

 ner's stock in trade, with the exception of tlie oxen, 

 and took cViarge of the whole. I added two cows to 

 my i)roscnt stock, thinking the more cows, the greater 

 ])rofit. At the end of the year, however, I did not 

 feel satisfied with the profits resulting from 7ny five 

 cows. I aL'Cordingly disjjoscd of one of my cows, 

 and on summing up the proiits at the end of the next 

 year, I found that the four had yielded a greater 

 profit than the five had done. Concluding in my 

 mind, that if four cows were of more ])rofit than five, 

 on the same princijile, three might yield a profit in 

 proportion, (although I find no rule in " Adams" or 

 "Smith" that supports this doctrine,) I accordingly 



