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FARMERS' REGISTER— CULTIVATION OF THE POTATO. 



weig-liing, in all, sixty-nine pounds. Some roots 

 yielded more than others; one was peculiarly 

 prolific — it furnished eighteen pounds ol potatoes, 

 six of the largest of which weighed ten pounds. 



Having thus adduced a few general facts, it re- 

 mains to point out the mode of operation by which 

 such large results may be obtained. 



One of the chief, if not the primary, agents in 

 effecting vegetable development and maturity, is 

 light. Deprive a plant of that, and you either 

 paralyze the operation of its vital principle, or in- 

 duce imperfect and diseased action. The leaves 

 of vegetables are the media upon which light 

 acts ; and, therefore, it should be the object of 

 the gardener so to arrange his crops, that the 

 utmost breadth of their foliage may be exposed to 

 the full influence of the solar rays. Hence, the 

 rows of potatoes ought to point north and south; 

 for, in the first place, plants so exposed, command 

 the greatest breadth and duration of light; and in 

 the second, the sun at the time of his highest meri- 

 dian altitude — that is, at the hour of" noon — shines 

 directly along the extent of the rows ; his light is 

 also most equally distributed upon the whole foli- 

 age as he approaches to, and recedes from the me- 

 ridian. The perpendicularity of growth, which is 

 of considerable importance to the complete success 

 of the crop, is less likely to be disturbed by this 

 mode of arrangement, than by any other that has 

 lieretofbre been emj)loyed. It is generally the 

 practice to plant small potatoes, or sets of larger 

 tubers, cut with one or two eyes to each. — 

 These sets are planted in rows from sixteen to 

 twenty inches asunder, and the sets about half 

 that distance, or nine inches apart, without any 

 consideration being had to the aspect or direction 

 of the rows. As the stems advance in growth they 

 are very liable to fall over, and become entangled 

 ,one with another, thus intercepting the solar liglit, 

 which then acts unequally upon the disorderly 

 masses of foliage. Hence tiie crops become very 

 unequal in point of bulk and weight. 



Mr. Knight's philosophical directions lead to a 

 very different result. He recommends the plant- 

 ing of whole potatoes, and those only which are of 

 fine medium size — none to be of less weight than 

 four ounces ; and he often ijrefers tliose which 

 weigh six or eight ounces. Tiie earlier sorts, and, 

 indeed, all which seldtmi attain a greater height 

 than two feet, are to be j)Ianted about four or five 

 inches apart in the rows, centre from centre, the 

 crown ends upward ; the rows to be from two feet 

 six inches to three feet asunder. The late pota- 

 toes, which produce a haulm above three feet in 

 height, are to be placed five or six inches apart, 

 centre from centre, in rows four or five feet 

 asunder. 



When potatoes are thus planted in rows point- 

 ing north and south, the utmost energy of the light 

 will be exerted, not only upon the foliage of the 

 plant, but upon the surface of the intervening 

 spaces of ground. If we supjtose that the main 

 crops will be planted at the latter end of March, 

 and during the month of April, the sun's meridian 

 altitude will be advancing daily, for at least nine 

 weeks ; and during that period, the development 

 and growth of the stem and leaves will be in a state 

 of rapid progress. After the turn of days, and 

 when the plants liave attained their full growth, 

 the sun will continue to exert its mcjst powerful 

 iiifl uence. S|jou!d the ground be of a proper texture 



and quality, the plants will stand erect, and the ma- 

 turing piocess will proceed without interrujition; 

 and after favorable summers, wherein there have 

 been regular and jnoderate supplies of rain, particu- 

 larly during May and June; with a prevalence, 

 however, of l)right sunshine, the crops of potatoes 

 will be regular, the tubers generally of a medium 

 size, and the quality mealy, and altogether superior. 

 If the soil be a strong mellow loam, enriched with 

 much manure, the haulm will, in all probability, 

 grow too rank, and finally fall over ; nevertheless, 

 the large spaces between the rows will greatly 

 remedy this evil, for the sun's beams will act upon 

 one surface at the least, and the matting and other 

 injurious consequences resulting from close drill- 

 ing will be prevented or obviated. I cannot re- 

 frain, in this place, from correcting an erroneous 

 opinion, which almost universally prevails. We 

 hear every where of potato plants running away 

 to haulm, and thus expending their vital energy 

 ujion useless stem and foliage, instead of employ- 

 ing it in the production of tuberous roots. Now 

 this remark is wholly opposed to philosophical fact, 

 for invariably the strongest and heaviest bulk of po- 

 tatoes is found attached to the most luxuriant haulm. 

 The evil of over luxuriance is not to be referred 

 to the paucity of tuberous product, for that is al- 

 ways great; it is a consequence of an over-rich 

 soil, which causes the haulm to grow so tall as to 

 fiill over, become entangled, and thus to lose the 

 maturing influence of light ; hence, such haulm 

 seldom ripens in due time, it remains green even 

 in December ; and the tubers, though large, nu- 

 merous and heavy, are immature, void of meali- 

 ness, and vapid in flavor. 



A fact of great importance to the growers of po- 

 tatoes remains to be noticed. The outside rows, 

 and all single rows, will be found to produce far 

 greater crops than any of the interior rows of a 

 plot in the garden or field. This depends upon a 

 variety of causes, the chief of which is, the more 

 perfect exposure of the foliage to the agency of air 

 and light. Mr. Knight assures me, that he ob- 

 tained from one outside row of an early seedling 

 variety of the preceding year, which was two feet 

 six inches exterior of an adjoining row, " a pro- 

 duce equivalent to more than fifty-eight tons per 

 acre. No conclusions," he adds, "can be drawn 

 from the aniovmt of produce of an external row. 

 I mention it only to show the enormous influence 

 of light." 



In this philosophical remark I cordially acqui- 

 esce, because experience has established its truth 

 to my own satisfaction. I therefore earnestly re- 

 commend every cultivator who has the opportuni- 

 ty of cropping upon long detached slij)S, in airy, 

 open situations, to make the experiment of close 

 planting in single rows, either whole potatoes, or 

 well cut sets from very large potatoes, each to 

 contain two eyes at the least. These sets should 

 be taken from the crown end, or middle of the tu- 

 ber, and not from the lower or root end ; as I have 

 found the latter to be compar-atively unpr-oductive. 

 Sets may be planted at still less clistances in the 

 rows than whole tubers; and although the prefer- 

 ence ought in all cases to be given to a southern 

 direction, where such can be conveniently given, 

 still, for absolutely single rows, it is not indispen- 

 salily required, because air and light will act on 

 each side of the stem and foliage, and there will 

 be no intervening shadow. 



