OCT.48 
to 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
le68 liable the potatoes arc to freeze. Of earth 
alone it would require several feet in thickness 
to keep out the frost. Last winter the grouud 
froze three feet deep in many places in the 
Northern States. But the straw absorbs the 
moisture from the pile and confines a layer of 
air that helps to keep out I be frost, if the 
mound is large, it i6 well to place a three- 
OUR POTATOES 
toes. It is not advisable to make cuttings 
later than the beginning of July, as tubers 
from later cuttings cannot mature before 
frost. 
This method of increase i6 to be recom¬ 
mended only for new and costly varieties; 
for older sorts of which tubers can be ob¬ 
tained in any quantity, it would, of course, not 
Our potato crop this season is not nearly so 
great as the yield reported from many places, 
but it is much better thautbatof last year. 
About four bushels were planted and forty or 
more harvested, not including those consumed 
by the family from the advent of “new po¬ 
tatoes,” till digging-time. Last year our pota¬ 
to crop was poor, owing to rot. This year our 
folks resolved to try a change. Accordingly, 
in addition to such ground as was formerly 
planted, a side-hill piece of green-sward was 
broken up. No manure was used upon it; yet 
just there it wa6 that our best, our fairest and 
smoothest potatoes were grown, both Snow¬ 
flakes and Early Hoses. 
Some of the seed potatoes were cut iu sec¬ 
tions; the “seed ends'' only of some were 
planted; some were plauled whole: but our 
largest potatoes were grown from large pota¬ 
toes quartered, lengthwise, one piece only 
being put in each hill. 
As soon as the vines were up, the warfare 
with the potato beetles began. The pests were 
hand-picked thoroughly from the first, and 
every egg that could be found was destroyed; 
consequently the potatoes got a good start, 
before sustaining any marked injury. So per¬ 
sistently were the beetles dealt with that but 
one crop was hatched, but, in spite of all our 
vigilance, that beetle crop was a prolific one, 
The warfare continued until tlie potato tops 
gave evidence of maturity, when we abandoned 
the field. 
As our potatoes were planted early, they 
were necessarily dug out the last of August. 
The weather being fair, they were quickly dried 
off in good condition for storing, and were 
immediately put in bins in the cellar. Some 
predicted universal rot in consequence; but 
while on nearly all sides we hear of potatoes 
rotting in the ground, in some instances so 
badly as to rcuder digging useless, we have as 
yet found but few rotten ones in the cellar; 
and wo think that perhaps those might have 
been affected wheu dug, as we found a few 
rotten ones at that time. However, should our 
potatoes keep well, we shall ascribe it to having 
adopted the plan recommended this season in 
some of the newspapers, that of sprinkling 
slaked lime plentifully under and amongst, the 
tubers In the bins at harvest time. It is said to 
absorb the moisture and prevent rot. 
Our potatoes are mostly Snowflakes, a po¬ 
tato that 1 can heartily recommend ; indeed, 
on all accounts, except that the Early Rose— 
our long-time favorite—may be a trifle earlier, 
justice compels me to place the Snowflake 
ahead of every variety with which I &m ac¬ 
quainted. For cooking purposes, baking in¬ 
cluded, I have never seen its equal—with the 
Beauty of Hebron I am not acquainted. As a 
keeper, the Snowflake seems all that can be 
desired; in proof of which it may be stated 
that last spring, at time of planting—middle of 
May—it was not sprouted at all, while some 
of the Early Rose had sprouts six inches in 
length. 
Year after year our potatoes have one pecu¬ 
liarity—they are more or less marred by rough, 
unsightly blotches, generally reaching below 
the surface. My experience is that these arc not 
more liable to rot than those not so affected, 
the greatest disadvantage being that so much 
of the potato must be wasted in paring off the 
affected part. Some claim that it is a sort of 
blight or rust, others that the tubers have been 
eaten by angle-worms or by a small 
BURBANK H 8EEDLING 
inch tile in the bottom along the middle, 
and also upright ones at intervals of about 
six feet, as shown by the dotted lines b and 
d. These will cause a circulation of air 
and keep the potatoes dry. Wheu cold 
comes, these openings must be stopped up and 
if necessary, another layer of straw and earth 
must be added. This is the way that potatoes 
prove profitable. When, however, a variety 
costs from one to three dollars a pound, the 
desirability of a rapid increase from a small 
stock, becomes apparent. The quantity that 
in this w ay can be raised from a single potato 
may thus be estimated: A good-sized potato 
has about fifteen eyes, and from these, by re¬ 
peated cuttings, may bo obtained at least 50 
plants. Each of these 50 plants may again 
yield three more, which, when planted out, 
will make altogether 200 hills; with the very 
small yield of a pound and a half from each 
hill, this would be 300 pounds, equal to about 
two barrels from one potato. 
POTATO NOTES 
FAIR NOTES 
POTATO MOUND. 
are stored in northern Europe and when the 
work has been properly done, we have never 
known them to suffer from cold or rot. 
town iair. me results were encouraging, and 
last winter a Society, comprising the north 
shire of Bennington Co., was organized, and 
the necessary steps taken to hold a fair. Two 
buildings were erected, one, 26x88 feet, which 
was used for Mechanic’s Hall; another, 26x50 
feet was used for Floral Hall. There is a good 
half-mile track on the grounds, which the 
directors spared no pains in putting iu good 
order. The first day was fine and the grounds 
quite well attended. The second day there was 
the largest crowd the writer ever saw in Man¬ 
chester. Membership tickets were sold for .$ 1 
apiece which secured admittance for the holder, 
wife and necessary help to care for stock, etc.' 
Something like S800 were taken at the gates, 
which places the Society on a firm financial 
basis, and insures its future success. The show 
of horned cattle was good for a small place. A 
full-blooded Holstein bull that was brought into 
the place about three years ago, has influenced 
the herds to a considerable extent, and black 
calves and two year-olds predominate. Swine 
and sheep have not received so much attention. 
There is a marked improvement in horses in 
tlie past three years. The farmers are taking 
pride iu being able to take a premium if it is 
small. The poultry department included some 
fine birds. The exhibit was certainly larger, 
HOW POTATOES MAY BE RAISED FROM 
CUTTINGS. 
In tlie beginning of March a hot-bed 6hould 
be prepared iu which to raise the cuttings. 
Any ordinary hot-bed will answer, and farm¬ 
ers who do not generally use hot-beds can 
prepare one as follows: Dig out a pit two 
feet deep and as large as needed. It should 
not be lees, however, than four feet square iu 
order that the hot-hed may maintain a moder¬ 
ate heat. Fill this three feet high from the 
bottom with hot horse manure mixed with 
straw or leaves, and well shaken together, so 
that the mass can heat equally throughout. 
Next, place a frame and sash on the heap aud 
place a layer of soilfoui inches thick in the 
frame; the soil should he turned over once a 
day for two or three days till it is warmed 
through. Now divide the potatoes lengthwise 
and place the pieces, on lop of the soil, with 
the cut side downward. They 6honJdnotbe 
watered until the wounds are healed, to avoid 
rotting. The sprouts will soon appear, aud 
wheu these have reached a hight of three or 
four inches, they may be cut off an inch above 
the potato, and set in rows in the soil of the 
hot-bed, like other cuttings. They must be 
watered and will also need to be carefully 
Bbaded from the sun till they have struck 
roots. The potatoes will continue to send up 
sprouts, and all may bo cut off aud set in the 
ground in like manner. These cuttings will 
soon form independent plants, and when they 
have reached a hight of five or six inches, 
wire- 
worm. while others ascribe at to ashes, as in 
planting on newly cleared laud it is sometimes 
found to have badly attacked those plauted 
where log-heaps have been. But owners of 
old farms complaiu of the same thing iu some 
degree; so, since our garden abounds in 
these rusty potatoes aud we seldom fiud 
in it an angle-worm, neither theory seems 
to me to be correct. With us the land 
is new, having been mostly cleared from 
one to seven or eight years only—soil a 
heavy, black loam, in places gravelly. 
Mats. J. A. Van Valkkn burgh. A 
Ulster Co., N. Y. M 
Tub Fair of the American Institute is 
now in progress at the Institute Hall, at 63d 
Street, this city. It is an artisans’ fair of the 
most pronounced type, and is of but little 
direct interest to the tillers of the soil. Horti¬ 
culture, however, is represented by a few good 
collections ol fruit, of which the one shown by 
Ell w anger A Barry, of Rochester, is by far the 
largest and best. Mr. C. J. Copley, of Staple- 
ton, Staten Island, exhibits a fine collection of 
grapes. Mr. C. has for some years past raised 
numerous seedling Grapes, some of which 
prove to be of first quality. Vegetables aro 
present in small quantities; among others are 
some extra fine tomatoes. Cutflowers make a 
good display aud fill the air with aroma. 
STORING POTATOES IN MOUNDS. 
Every farmer raises more or less pota- pi 
toes, at least enough to supply his own ■£ 
household. But it is not every farmer ^ 
who has a frost-proof cellar in which ^ 
to store the crop during winter, and 
those who have no such conveni¬ 
ence must either sell out iu the lali or store 
the crop out-of-doors. There are two meth¬ 
ods of keeping potatoes out-of-doors: eith¬ 
er in a pit iu the ground, or iu a mound above 
the ground. Of these we give preference to the 
the mound, because stored in that manner 
they are kept drier and are, therefore, less 
liable to rot; moreover, they are much more ea¬ 
sily gotten out again in spring. Level a piece 
of ground nicely iu some dry place and pile up 
the potatoes, as seen In the cut; then coyer 
With a layer of straw ten inches or a foot In 
hickness, and, finally, put on five or six 
Inches of earth. The more straw used, the 
THE WASHINGTON 
their tops may, in turn, he cut off and set as 
cuttings. 
In May or as early as the ground is fit to 
work and the weather will permit, transfer all 
the young plants that may be ready to the 
open ground at distances precisely as the 
tubers are planted. This work Is best done on 
a cloudy or rainy day, to avoid their wilting. 
Once well started, these plauts will grow 
rapidly and should be treated like other pota- 
In Beef... 
In Pork... 
Iu Mutton. 
Iu Milk... 
Iu Bread... 
In Butter.. 
.to 400,000,000 pounds. 
• to 800,000,000 
.to 800,000,000 
,tO 7,000,000,000 
to 4,000,IKI0,000 
to 400,000,000 
A Disaster at a Fair.— A disaster occurred 
at the. Adrian (Mich.) lair-grounds the other 
day by which 10 persons lost their lives aud 
many more were hurt. About 2,000 people had 
assembled on the newly erected grand-stand to 
witness the races when the center of the struc¬ 
ture gave way with a crash. The front part fell 
outward, and the back fell into the river, pre¬ 
cipitating the mass of people among the ruins. 
WHAT OTHERS SAY 
Beed Potatoes. —The crown-eyes of the 
potato are the only ones which yield vigorous 
plants, according to the Loudon Ag. Gazette; 
