166 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



June 



Varieties of Potatoes. — Mr. T. B. Miiier, 

 correspondent rf the Country Gentlemen and 

 Cultivator, in a late number of that paper makes 

 the following statements in relation to potatoe 

 culture in Oneida county, New-York : 



The last season was very discouraging in po- 

 tatoe culture in Oneida county. We had sup- 

 posed that w^ith Peach Blows, Prince Alberts, 

 Davis' Seedling, &c., we were secure against 

 blight; but we were deceived. The dry rot has 

 been more injurious than usual, and potatoes 

 that were considered good when put into the 

 cellar, have turned out badly defective. 



I have grown extensively, Peach Blows, Da- 

 vis' Seedling, Prince Alberts, Jenny Linds and 

 Garnet Chili. 



Peach Blows are too late for our climate, and 

 do not grow as large, and are not so good as 

 grown in New Jersey. 



Davis' S edling, which promised to be exempt 

 from disease in 1859 and 1860, is badly effected 

 ■with dry rot. 



Prince Alberts rot but very litte, but there are 

 so mapy small potatoes among them, that they 

 are objectionable on that account; otherwise 

 they are a valuable variety. They do best on a 

 very rich 8;il. 



Jenny Linds or California potatoes, rotted bad- 

 ly in tliis section. If they can be produced in a 

 sound state, they are a good crop to grow for 

 feeding to cattle and hogs. 



The Garnet Chili is at present the least liable 

 to disease of any kind known in this section. — 

 The yiel 1 is very large, with few small potatoes, 

 and requires no assorting to barrel for market. 

 Indeed, so excellent is the quality and yield, and 

 80 free from disease, that thpy have created a 

 "sensation" among potatoe growers in Central 

 New-York. I recommend that we call this va- 

 riety simjjly the Garnet; long names are deci- 

 dedly objectionable, and if Mr. Goodrich does 

 not improve in names, the public will name his 



Beedlings for him. 



-«•► 



Trotting Horses too Young. — It has long been 

 our opinion, gays the Wisconsin Farmer, that 

 horsemen are too much given to putting their 

 promising coifs to their speed attoo early an age. 

 We have in our memory, a number of splendid 

 young borsrs, which, as we think, were just 

 about ruined by such blunders of their owners 



There can be no objection to commencing the 

 process of trainirg at quite on early age. In- 

 deed the work of education should begin, while 

 yet they aie sucking colts. But as the develop- 

 ment, strength, and power of endurance come on 

 gradually, rarely attaining their maximum until 

 the horse arrives at the age of six or seven, or 

 even eight years, it would seem to be the teach- 

 ing of philosophy and common sense, that the se- 

 vere trials of spetd and power should not be im- 

 posed until the period of maturity. And yet 

 nothing is more common, at most of our State 

 and County Fairs, than to see young colts of 

 hardly three or four years put upon the trotting 

 course, whipped through to the very verge of 

 their endurance. In our way of thinking, such 

 practices are not only unwise, but barbarous and 

 inhuman. 



Corn is Massachusetts. — Messrs Editors: 

 — I saw a statement in your Country Gent, of 

 April 17, referring to the cost of raising corn in 

 New York, and now I wish to show the cost of 

 raising corn upon the hills of Western Massachu- 

 setts. The piece which I refer to, consisted of 

 three acres, which had been mowed for three 

 years previous. It required one yoke of oxen 

 and a man and boy to plow it : 



To 3 days work plowing and spreading ma- 

 nure, $7 50 



3 day's drawing manure 3 50 



Harrowing 2 00 



Half days plastering wiih machine 1 00 



Three pecks seed corn '75 



Interest on land at $30 6 30 



Cultivating one way three times 1 '75 



Eight day's work hoeing 5 00 



Two day's work cutting 1 50 



Husking and drawing in corn and fodder. 8 00 



Thirty loads of manure 15 00 



Total cost $52 30 



Corn Fodder 15 00 



$37 30 



One hundred and sixty bushels of shelled corn 



at a cost of abcut 28 cents per bushel, showing 



that corn can be raised to some advantage upon 



the rocks of Western Massachusetts. 



H. H. P. 

 Shelburne, Mass. 



-—>- 



Raising and Keeping Celery — P. Hender- 

 son, of Jersey City, who raises celery largely for 

 market adopts the following mode, dispensing 

 with the hot-bed. "The seed is thinly sowed 

 early in spring, on a very rich, mellow and per- 

 fect piece of land — they are well cultivatefl and 

 afford fine healthy plants by the first of July. — 

 They are always transplanted in rain, to rich 

 land. Those intended for autumn use (blanching 

 on the ground,) are in rows four feet apart, (to 

 allow banking up,) and five or six inches in the 

 row — on the surface and not in trenches. For 

 winter and spring use, the rows are three feet 

 apart. They are well cultivated with a horse 

 and by hoeing. 



When about half grown, or about the end of 

 summer, a litt'e earth is drawn to them to give 

 them an upright position. After that, the plants 

 are held closely together with one hand, and ad- 

 ditional earth applied. In a few weeks more, 

 they are banked up by digging tho earth between 

 the rows. 



That intended for winter use, is packed away 

 in trenches about a month before winter sets in. 

 For early winter, the plants are removed a -week 

 or two sooner, and without shaking the earth 

 from the roots. For later use, they are taken 

 up a little later, and packed more closely. The 

 trenches are not over eight or ten inches wide — 

 if wider they promote fermentation and deoey. 

 After they are filled, the soil is pressed closely 

 on each side, by thrusting a spade down, but 

 leaving the green tops exposed. About the first 

 of winter, the whole is covered with about six 

 inches, (or more) of stable manure or leaves. 



