262 



Good Farming and Good Ho^s — The Potatoe. 



Vol. VI. 



the increasing demand for them), yet they are 

 superseding the old breed with the new Berk- 

 shire cross as rapidly as they can be propa- 

 gated. 



The injustice of these sneers at Berkshires 

 has been presented forcibly to my mind by a 

 recent visit to the farm of Benjamin W. 

 Cooper, near Camden, N. J. Go there Mr. 

 Editor, and you too will be delighted at look- 

 ing after some of the finest Berkshire pigs 

 that even your experienced eyes have ever 

 gazed upon. Mr. Cooper takes a noble pride 

 in having the best of every thing that can be 

 got. One Berkshire sow, whose parents 

 were both imported, has now a litter of ten 

 pigs, finer than which I never beheld. He 

 has a Berkshire boar, which is now twenty- 

 one months old, and he thinks but little feed- 

 ing would be required to make him weigh 

 nearly 500 lbs. He is a noble, although 

 rough-looking animal, yet his pigs are models 

 of all a fastidious farmer could desire. An- 

 other sow could as easily be made to weigh 

 400 lbs; and you cannot inspect his numer- 

 ous stock of swine — for he has two other lit- 

 ters of remarkably sprightly Berkshires — 

 without admiring, not only the stock, but the 

 taste and judgment, as well as the politeness 

 and urbanity of the proprietor. Besides these 

 charms in farmers' eyes, you look around on 

 his ample fields, stretching peacefully down 

 to the margin of the Delaware, and giving 

 ample token, turn where you may, of good 

 farming. His spacious barns, before which 

 extends a cattle-yard, in whose boundaries 

 he manufactures manure by the hundred 

 loads, and in which you see a large collec- 

 tion of the mixed Durham blood — his beauti- 

 ful flock of Bremen gee&Q, of enormous size, 

 and with plumage of snowy whiteness — his 

 multitude of poultry, celebrated as growing 

 to a great weight, and being first-rate layers, 

 with much else that my limits (and yours) 

 forbid my adding, indicate this gentleman to 

 know pretty well what good farming is. 

 Were you to inspect his premises and his 

 stock minutely, I cannot but believe you 

 would unite in my encomiums. Your intel- 

 ligent correspondent P. M. would be gratified 

 in spending, as I did, an hour in the same 

 pleasing occupation. P.wonia. 



Feb. 28, 1842. 



For tlie Fariner.-i' Cabinet. 

 The Potatoe. 

 Mr. Editor, — It is perhaps not generally 

 known to the subscribers of the Farmers' 

 Cabinet, that in the potatoe there are two 

 parts, which, if separated and planted at the 

 same time, one will produce tubers fit for the 

 table eight or ten days earlier than the other. 

 This fact has fallen under my ov.n observa- 

 tion, and is the plan I now pursue in order to 



obtain an early supply for my table, fine and 

 very mealy. The apex or small end of the 

 potatoe, which is generally full of eyes, is 

 that part that produces the earliest — the 

 middle or body of the potatoe produces later, 

 and always large ones. The butt or navel 

 end is worthless, exc(>pt for feeding stock, 

 and, if planted, produces very indifferent 

 small ones, and often none at all, the eyes, if 

 any, being imperfectly formed. 'J'he potatoe 

 being cut two weeks before planted, and 

 spread on a floor, that the wounds may heal, 

 separating the small end from the middle, 

 then cutting off the navel or butt, the body 

 or middle of the potatoe is then divided into 

 two pieces lengthwise, taking care to have 

 always the largest and finest selected, being 

 convinced that if none but large potatoes are 

 planted, large ones will be again produced — 

 small things produce small things again, and 

 therefore no small potatoes should be planted ; 

 this practice is too prevalent, and may ac- 

 count for the many varieties and small pota- 

 toes met with in our markets. Who would 

 not prefer a large mealy potatoe to a small 

 one, that will take hours to boil soft, and then 

 may only be fit to feed the cattle with ? 



For several years past I have adopted the 

 plan of putting potatoes into the ground late 

 in the fall, covering them with manure, some- 

 times with tanners' waste bark, and always 

 have succeeded in raising a fine early crop. 

 Last fall I had taken up some as fine and 

 large Mercer potatoes as any one could wish ; 

 they were covered with tan six inches thick 

 the preceding fall ; many weighed sixteen 

 ounces. No particular care or attention was 

 bestowed upon them through the summer, 

 the tan not permitting any weeds to trouble 

 them, or to draw out the nourishment from 

 the earth, they had therefore all the benefit 

 of the soil, kept moist and clean by the tan, 

 for tan will keep the ground moist and clean, 

 and in an improved state in the driest season. 

 I have found the great advantage of it to my 

 asparagus and strawberry beds, which are 

 annually covered with it. 



The potatoe I consider so valuable and in- 

 dispensable a vegetable, and having never 

 seen a suggestion in print of separating the 

 potatoe and planting each by itself,* that I 

 have been induced to send you this imperfect 

 and hastily drawn upcommunication. Perhaps 

 you may think it worthy a place in the Far- 

 mer's Cabinet, and if so, should be pleased to 

 hear that some of its patrons will try the 

 experiment of planting separately each part 

 of the tuber, believing that the potatoe may 

 be much improved by a due regard to the 

 above suggestions. J. F. H. 



Lancaster, Feb. 2t), 1842. 



* At p. I.>2 of the Cab., vol. 5, our correspondent will 

 find this subject particularly treated. Ed. 



