t48 



THE GENESEE PARMER 



May 14, 1831 



TBS GENESEE rARHiER 



SATURDAY, M \\ 14, 1831 



POTATOES. 



We are convinced, that according to the 

 real value of 1 his crop amongst us, there is 

 none so neglected as Potatoes. According 

 to the table of nutritive matter contained in 

 different vegetables, given by us at page 20 t 

 we calculated the produce of an acre of Po- 

 tatoes at 12,500 lbs. Now every farmer 

 knows that to be far below the actual pro- 

 duce of an acre when well managed, and yet 

 by the same calculation it would appear that 

 one acre of Potatoes afforded as much nutri- 

 tive matter as two acres of Indian corn, cal- 

 culated at forty bushels per acre, or as three 

 acres of wheat at twenty bushels per acre. 

 Tims the cultivation of Potatoes, as far as 

 regards the support of animal life, is of 

 greater importance than that of Indian corn 

 or wheat, as two or thiec to one. Now all 

 these crops arc raised as food either for man 

 or beast, and the one that will produce the 

 greatest profit, of course is the one which 

 will be cultivated by economical farmers. — 

 In order to make a comparison of the profit 

 of these different crops, we must assume some 

 standard price for the produce, allowing the 

 rent of land to be the same, and for the con- 

 venience of calculating we will allow the ex- 

 pense of raising each crop and carrying it to 

 market to be equal. We will assume prices 

 which will correspond with the market pri- 

 ces of this village for the last season, viz.: 

 Potatoes 25 cents, Corn 50, and Wheat one 

 dollar per bushel, and the rate of produce to 

 be — Wheat 20 bushels, Corn 40 bushels, and 

 Potatoes 250 per acre. The amount of each 

 acre will stand thus: — Potatoes gfi2 50, 

 Wheat g20, Indian Coin #20 ; making the 

 produce of one acre of Potatoes greater than 

 three acres of either of the other crops. 



We are aware that many will say that this 

 calculation will only hold good in the neigh- 

 borhood of large towns ; to which we reply, 

 that if it is profitable to fatten hogs with com, 

 which most of our farmers do, then it must 

 be trebly so to feed them with Potatoes, and 

 the pork can be carried to market at the same 

 price. Again, it may be said that wheat, 

 when raised and thrashed out, is ready for 

 market. This we grant; but calculate this 

 is generally fifteen months after the crop was 

 sown, and eighteen months after the prepar- 

 atory labor for the crop was commenced 

 and of course the land for wheat can only 

 produce a crop once in two years, whereas 

 for corn or potatoes one crop can be produ- 

 ced annually. As for the situation in which 

 land is left after taking either of the three 

 crops from it, no one will hesitate to pro- 

 nounce in favor of that which produced the 

 Potatoes. Much has been said in favor of 

 turnip husbandry, but as we are convinced 

 that one acre of Potatoes is equal to ten acres 

 of tumip=, we --hall never trouble our readers 



much with that subject, unless it is for rais- 

 ing them for the. table. 



We are not able to inform our readers at 

 what precise time Potatoes were introduced 

 into the gardens in what is now the United 

 States, but the following extract from Lewis' 

 history of Lynn will give perhaps as correct 

 ideas as to the time and size of the tubers at 

 the time mentioned, as any thing that can 

 be found on the subject : — 



" About the year 1718, Potatoes were first 

 introduced into Lynn. A man received two 

 or three, which he planted ; and when he 

 gathered the produce a few of them were 

 roasted and eaten merely for curiosity; the 

 rest were put into the shell of a gourd, and 

 hung up in the cellar. The next year he 

 planted them all, and had enough to fill a 

 two bushel basket. He knew not what to do 

 with so many, and gave some of them to his 

 neighbors. Soon after, one of them said to 

 him — ' Well, I have found that Potatoes are 

 good for something. I had some of them 

 boiled, and ate them with fish, and they rel- 

 ished very well.' It was several years after 

 this before Potatoes came into general use, 

 and then only in small quantities." 



Dr. Belknap, in his History of Neiv- 

 Hampshire, states that the first Potatoes ever 

 raised in New-England, grew in the garden 

 of Nathaniel Walker, of Andover, in 

 1719. Fiomthe agreement of these records, 

 we may suppose that that was about the time 

 of their introduction, and they are described 

 by all as being very small — agreeing with 

 Lewis' account that the produce of several 

 might be put in a gourd shell. Every per- 

 son of observation has noticed the great im- 

 provements that have been made with this 

 valuable root within a few years, both in size 

 and quality; and we know of no good rea- 

 son why these improvements may not be 

 continued, if proper attention is paid to the 

 introduction of new kinds from seed. The 

 idea that Potatoes run out or die by old age, 

 we conceive to be incorrect, as we attribute 

 the disappearance of old varieties to the in- 

 troduction of new and improved ones ; and 

 the theory that the tubers will become mix- 

 ed by being planted together in hills.is equal- 

 ly unfounded, as it is only by the mixture of 

 the farina or pollen of the blossoms that new 

 varieties are produced. 



The best method of planting Potatoes for 

 field culture is in drills, as the produce will 

 be from one quarter to one third greater than 

 when planted in hills.and the expense of cul- 

 tivating is not increased ; in short, we think 

 it docs not require as much labor for plant- 

 ing and hoeing an acre in drills as when 

 they are in hills, as the trenching and cov- 

 ering may be done with a plow, when the 

 ground is mellow, as perfectly as by hand. 

 After the ground has been planted sufficient 

 time for the sprouts of the Potatoes to have 

 nearly reached the top of the soil, they should 

 be harrowed with a light harrow lengthwise 

 of the rows or drills; this will loosen the top 

 of the soil and kill all the weeds as effectual- 1 



ly as hand hoeing, and a man with a pair oi 

 horses may dress out ten acres in one day — 

 after which one dressing with a plow will be 

 all that is required. But where land is full 

 of sods and grass, we would recommend 

 planting in drills and allowing them to re- 

 main unhoed until the tops are at least six 

 inches high, then turn in sheep and allow 

 them to remain until they have eaten all the 

 grass and weeds close, which they will do 

 before they feed upon the Potato tops; af- 

 ter which they should be well hilled up with 

 the plow, and the hoeing is completed. By 

 either of the above methods of cultivation, 

 an acre of Potatoes can be raised with les- 

 labor than an acre of corn. 



In selecting varieties of Potatoes for cul- 

 tivation, regard should be had to the uses to 

 which they are to be applied. If they are 

 designed for market or for family use, the 

 quality should be considered of greater con- 

 sequence than the quantity : but when they 

 are for feeding of stock, quantity enters large- 

 ly into the calculation. We subjoin a list 

 of some of the most valuable varieties culti- 

 vated in this section of country, with their 

 common or local names, and their qualities 

 which recommend them. First, we will se- 

 lect a few kinds for the table, omitting some 

 of the early frame Potatoes, which we con- 

 sider rather as a matter of curiosity than 

 profit, as we consider old Potatoes well kept 

 superior to any of the small early ones we 

 have ever seen, as they are generally watery 

 and insipid. 



The Mercer Potato. — This is one of our 

 best Potatoes for family use. It was first 

 produced by a Sir. Gilkev, in Mercer coun- 

 ty, Pennsylvania. It is rather long and flat 

 in shape, with many eyes. Its color is white, 

 tinged with a pale purple on the tip end, from 

 which circumstance it has been called by 

 some the blue nose. When cut in two, a 

 circle of the same color of the tip end is dis- 

 covered round the centre. It produces very 

 well, and is one of the most valuable kinds 

 for the supply of the kitchen during thf 

 spring months. When boiled, it is white and 

 mealy and of excellent flavor. It has been 

 called by several names, as theNephannock 5 . 

 Moshannocks, Blue Noses, and Chenango — 

 all meaning the same Potato. 



The Pink-Eye. — This is a Potato which 

 was lately introduced into this country from 

 Ireland. In shape it somewhat resembles 

 the Mercer, but not quite as long — perhaps 

 might be called kidney shaped. It has bin 

 few eyes, which are not deep, but are sur- 

 rounded with a delicate pink color. The) 

 are very smooth on the skin, and aie liked 

 by the rooks as being easy to clean. In this 

 section they produce tolerably well, and ar- 

 rive at double the size they do in Ireland. 

 but we do not think thein so fine in qualit) 

 as in that country, but they are certainly a 

 lli ^ t rate Potato here. 



Tin Sault Sf. Marie, or Black Kidnr >/.— 



