hat cooking renders food less valuable for 
animals, it will establish the same fact as 
applied to the food of man. But there are 
degrees in cooking", and much that is 
■ •ailed cooking is not worthy of that designa¬ 
tion. and yet the most sweeeping inferences 
are drawn as if the whole question were 
settled. 
Let us now considei the comparative value 
of potatoes as cattle food. Analysis gives the 
potato 2.1 percent, of digestible, muscle-form¬ 
ing matter; 21.8 heat, or fat-producing food, 
aud 0.2 per cent, of fat. This, when figured 
by the German'standard of value, gives twen¬ 
ty-nine cents per 100 pounds, seventy-five 
pounds being water.' ^Whon corn'is figured at 
81.11 per 100 pounds, it. is on the same basis 
as 100 pounds of potatoes at twenty-nine cents. 
This makes 100 pounds of corn nearly equal 
to 400 pounds of potatoes. But in feeding 
pigs, it would be much better to feed fifty 
pounds of corn meal with 200 pouuds of 
cooked potatoes than to feed all corn meal. 
The built of the potatoes would divide the corn 
meal, and render it more porous in the stom¬ 
ach, and thus more digestible. But neither 
the corn meal nor the potatoes have a sufficient 
proportion of muscle or bone-producing food 
to grow young pigs, and should be fed with 
bran, oats, barley, peas or linseed meal. Po¬ 
tatoes are well-adapted to fattening well- 
grown shotes. And from this discussion it 
will he seen that about once in three or four 
years, the market is so overstocked with po¬ 
tatoes as to make them economical food for 
horses, dairy cows, sheep or pigs, as they 
often sell at fifteen cents per bushel. 
For cows they may be mixed with bran, aud 
when only a few quarts are fed per day, they 
may be sliced up and fed raw r . In snch small 
quantity they have a healthy action upon the 
stomach, aud the same may be said if given to 
horses, in doses of four pounds per day to 
each horse. They will give them a better appe¬ 
tite for other food. 
Erie Co. , N. Y. 
A POTATO TRIAL AND EXHIBIT. 
BY THE EXPERIMENT DEPARTMENT OF 
HOUGHTON FARM. 
The best met! >d of cutting pototoes for 
planting has t .ong disputed aud a variety 
of conflict!ng imhh ms have been made public. 
In 188 J it, was decided to try and contribute 
- • •thing to the knowledge of ttfis subject, by 
making comparative plantings at Houghton 
Farm and instead < reporting the result in 
figures, exhibiting at various fairs, the potatoes 
themselves, just as grown, with such marks 
aud explanations as would enable everyone to 
judge for himself as to the facts. 
Accordingly, at the New York State Fair of 
1884. the well known potato grower, Mr. N. F. 
Pierson, of Seneca Castle, Ontario County, 
was engaged to make up a collection of a few 
pounds each from 100 to 150 varieties success¬ 
fully grown by him, to include a number be¬ 
longing to all the established classes or fami¬ 
lies of potatoes. Mr. Pierson kept the seed 
through the Winter very successfully and sent 
the collection to Houghton Farm in the Spring 
of 1885. As received on the first of May, the 
potato »es were hi excellent condition aud repre¬ 
sented 130 varieties divided as follows: eight 
new early varieties, 32 approved early varie¬ 
ties, 24 new late varieties and fiO approved late 
varieties. 
The place selected for planting w’as part of 
an old garden, cropped for two or three years 
with onions a ud cucumbers for seed. The soil 
was similar to the black soil so well-known in 
the onion-growing districts of Orange County 
It was not first-rate potato ground, but was 
convenient for the purpose and well protected 
from interference, and accidents, which was an 
important point. The land, after being put in 
a good mechanical condition, received a mo¬ 
derate aud very even dreasing of muriate of 
potash and phosphatic lime, harrowed in. 
The land was carefully laid out in squares, a 
space nine feet square being allowed for every 
variety. It was decided to plant the potatoes 
in three different ways as to form of seed, and 
with three hills in each way, to guard against 
accident. This gave nine hills of every varie¬ 
ty, and the. whole field was planted three feet 
apart both ways. A large stake marked with 
the number of the lot. was set at the middle of 
every square. It would have been difficult to 
find anywhere, a piece of land more uniform 
in every respect throughout its area, and less 
liable to affect single hills of potatoes from 
local causes. 
The potatoes were planted on the 20th of 
May (the ground not being suitable earlier), 
and as I selected and cut all the seed, while my 
principal assistant, Mr. Emery, planted every 
hill, I am certain that in this part of the work, 
all were treated exactly alike, aud there was 
no possibility of error. The squares of differ¬ 
ent varieties were so placed, that the hills of 
like seedings formed rows across the field, and 
the different kinds were planted in the same 
order, as that in which they were exhibited at 
the Fairs. The earliest varieties were together 
at the left and so on to the right, where the 
latest varieties were placed. O f every variety• 
three hills were planted with one fair whole 
potato, about the size of a hen's egg; three 
others had in each hill one good-sized piece of 
a good-sized potato, the piece having three or 
four eyes on it; aud the three remaining hills 
were planted each with one eye upon a rather 
small piece cut from a good-sized potato. It is 
needless to add that throughout the growing 
season the hills of the whole lot, were treated 
exactly alike; no operation was performed 
which would affect the produce of one hill that 
was not applied to all the hills, the same day. 
The usual culture of field potatoes was follow¬ 
ed, but very little hilling was done. 
The season was extremely unfavorable for 
the crop. During the months of June and 
July, the rainfall was less than four inches, 
instead of from Id to 12 inches for the same 
months in several previous years. At the 
time therefore, when the young plants most 
needed water to make their growth, they got 
none, but were, instead, subjected to most in¬ 
tense dry heat. It soon became apparent, that 
this would tell disastrously upon the produc¬ 
tiveness of the crop, but as all varieties aud 
the different ways of seeding fared alike, it was 
felt that the experiment might la* profitably 
completed. The early varieties naturally suf¬ 
fered most, aud this was apparent to every 
one who saw the exhibit. Abundant rains in 
August were of great benefit to the late veri¬ 
ties, and these were mostly in vigorous growth 
when it became necessary to dig them for the 
Fairs. All were dug between the first aud the 
twelfth of September. At this time, one of 
the early kinds (the Bermuda Piuk Blossom,an 
imported potato) was still green and grooving, 
aud of the 8S late kinds, 50 were ripe, while 38 
were more or less immature. 
The harvesting was carefully supervised by 
Mr. Emery, one hill at a time, and everything 
half an inch in diameter w r as saved. The to¬ 
tal product of every hill, when dry and clean, 
(but not washed), was weighed, all the tubers 
counted, the number merchantable counted, 
and then the whole put away in a stout paper 
bag plainly marked, all the facts being care¬ 
fully recorded. 
Exhibits of the products from these plant- 
iugs wore made during the Autumn at the 
New York State Fair, Albany, the Orange 
Couuty Fair, Newburgh, N. Y., the Deerfield 
Valley Fair, Charlemont, Massachusetts, 
the Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden 
Counties Fair, Northampton, Massachusetts, 
and at the Virginia State Fair. Rich¬ 
mond. The method of display at all 
these places was substantially the same. On 
the exhibit table the potatoes were arranged 
in three rows according to the different 
methods of cutting aud planting the seed. 
One-huudred-aiid-twenty-eight (128) varieties 
were shown, and the whole product of the 
three hills of every variety, that of each hill 
in a small wooden tray by itself. There were 
thus 384 trays in all. The back row of 128 
were from the whole potato as seed, the middle 
row from the usual cutting and the front row 
from the single eye planted. Every hill or 
tray was plainly marked with the name of 
the variety and the method of seed planting. 
Examined from left to right, ’every row showed 
the effects of the same way of cutting upon 
different varieties. From hack to front, in 
sets of three, the same variety in different 
ways. As a whole, the potatoes were inferior 
in quality, although in sevens) eases, single 
hills produced from three to live pounds. But 
that was immaterial, the exhibit was not in¬ 
tended as a show, but as an object lesson, giv¬ 
ing at a glance the results of these three ways 
of planting. Large cards accompanying the 
exhibit, gave the average results in figures. 
These may be condensed as follows; 
POTATO GROWING IN OHIO. 
W. I. CHAMBERLAIN. 
Average of 128 E ® 
varieties Of po- g 5 
toes. -3 
_ || 
Method of Seed r = 
Cutting. £ os 
Whole potato 
(bark row),... 
Usual cutting 
(middle row).. 
Single eye 
(front row),.. 
I! a 
XI 
go 
% 
S *- 
si 
. ZJ 
N. 
k. ea 
;<lSO 
•c 1- iflj 
! JSj. 
r I a**! 
,o2 
„ 3 
. — — , Q QJ 
c-o , { 3 
0 E 2 1 t 3 
O nS 
28 
48 
316 
51 
13 
33 
2.5 
215 
74 
10 
51* 
28 
2.8 
185 
86 
One set of these figures may be deceptive; 
although it appears that the average weight of 
the potatoes in the front row (single eye 
planting), was the greatest, the number of 
large potatoes was greater in the back row, 
aud the largest potatoes were there also. 
Therefore In every way of viewing it, so far as 
this one trial is concerned, the planting of the 
fair-sized whole potatoes was the most satis¬ 
factory in result. And this was not the re¬ 
sult with a single land, but the average of 128 
different kinds, treated exactly alike in every 
respect except the form or cutting of the seed. 
henry e. alvord, Manager, 
Soil. —It is not wise to attempt to grow po¬ 
tatoes in quantity unless the soil is well adapt* 
ed to their culture. The best soil, ou the 
whole, is a rich saudy, or gravelly loam, 
verging enough toward a clayey loam to retain 
fertilizers without leaching; but sandy or 
gravelly enough so that heavy rains will not 
remain stagnant, or keep the soil saturated 
long after the rain stops. This retards growth 
while the tubers are forming, or rots them af¬ 
ter they are neatly grown. Rich, clayey 
loams, thoroughly tile-drained, are next best. 
.Soil that is too sandy is not rich enough and 
will not retain applied manures well Black 
muck soils are apt to give overgrowth of 
tops and not so good a quality of tubers. Be 
sure that your soil is right before you embark 
largely iu potato growing. 
Location. —High land, not subject to early 
frost, is essential if you wish to raise the late 
varieties, like the old Peachblow, or the Peer¬ 
less, or the Victory, though the last two are 
earlier than the first. Gravelly, second or 
first bottom will do for early varieties, 
planted late, but is too much subject to frost 
to risk the late varieties or the very early 
planting of any variety. 
Preparation. —If the re are reasons for fall- 
plowing, by all means plow again in the 
Spring, and see that the soil is worked fine 
and six or eight inehes deep. If fall-plowed, 
cultivate thoroughly and deep before plowing 
in Spring, and then, after plowing, cultivate 
down with the cultivator, or Acme, or Ran¬ 
dall, or Thomas harrow, weighted till you 
meet the toj) cultivation that was plowed un¬ 
der. This plan will work, if you have an un¬ 
plowed corn or potato field, cultivate deep 
before plowing in Spring, and turn this four 
inches of fine earth, with the plow, right 
down where the roots can luxuriate in it all 
summer long. If the weather is dry, it may 
give success instead of failure. 
Manures. —Do not apply fresh or unrotted 
manure in the Spring. If well rotted, and you 
have a Kemp manure spreader, and want the 
very best results, apply half on the surface, 
and thoroughly cultivate it in; then plow un¬ 
der, apply the other half, aud cultivate that 
in most thoroughly. Then there will be no 
lumps of manure to cause scab, or groat uu 
evenness in size of the tubers, and the roots 
will find fertility all. through the soil. If 
you have no manure spreader, and want to 
use your manure green for fear of waste in 
rotting it (and it takes skill and care to rot 
manure without waste), then plow your green 
manure under the year before, and raise some 
rank feeding crop, like corn or Hungarian 
grass or millet, on it, and use the ground for 
potatoes the newt year. Do not fuss to man¬ 
ure in the hill if you live iu, or west of Ohio 
The practice is too fussy and expensive, aud 
that is not the place for manure. Even com¬ 
mercial fertilizers should he applied broad¬ 
cast (000 to 800 pounds per acre), or at least 
not in direct contact with the seed or young 
tubers, in any considerable quantity. 
Hill or Drill.— Drill planting gives more 
potatoes per acre. The Rose varieties may 
be planted in rows, 32 inches apart, aud sin 
gle eyes or tw*o eyes to the set, a foot apart 
iu the rows, provided the soil is very rich and 
well tilled. More bushing aud spreading top- 
growers, like the Peachblow, need more 
room. 
Depth depends ou soil and season. My 
best success has been secured at about three 
inches, deep enough so that you can cultivate 
and weed broadcast with the Thomas harrow 
till the tops are six inches high, and shallow 
enough so that the seed may feel the warm 
sun and start the growth early. 
Hilling up. —I favor a moderate ridge along 
the drill rows, especially on heavy soil. Tho 
potatoes are dug more easily. But too much 
hilling is not good; and if the land inclines to 
wash in heavy rains, the rows should, if pos¬ 
sible, be across , and not up and down, the 
slope; and the soil should be kept fiut and 
well t illed between these slight ridges so that 
the rains may soak down readily to tho grow¬ 
ing tubers. 
Varieties. — Since the Colorado potato 
beetles have been so numerous, it has seemed to 
be more profitable, in Ohio at, least, to raise 
the early-maturing varieties even for the main 
crop. You don’t have to tight the bug so long, 
mu ! the yield is as good and the tubers are 
about as good keepers. Years ago the early 
varieties did not yield so well, but the intro¬ 
duction of the Rose family has been a great 
boon to potato growers. In form and quality 
they are all that, can be desired, aud most of 
the seedlings of this family are prolific bearers, 
The Rural never did a bettor thing than iu 
introducing the Beauty of Hebron. It is more 
prolific than the Early Rose, and of excellent 
quality. On the whole, four of the most satis¬ 
factory sorts are the Beauty, the Burbauk 
Clark’s No. 1, and Mammoth Prolific. The 
Snowflake is a choice potato, but it will not 
yield like the Beauty of Hebron. 
Selecting and Cutting Seed.—I believe 
that pedigree aud selection pay in potatoes as 
well as elsewhere. I would select fair, smooth, 
well shaped, medium-sized potatoes for seed. 
If the soil is rich and well tilled, and moist at 
planting and kept well tilled, the seed may be 
out to one eye, provided an equal portion of 
the potato, as nearly ns muy be, is left with 
each eye, From the eye end of the potato all 
the eyes should be out out but one. aud all the 
“meat” be left on that. 
Handling and Marketing.— Until the tu¬ 
bers are thoroughly ripe, so that, the skins will 
not slip at all, the use of square wooden bushel 
boxes is a great help in marketing; aud it pays 
to keep them in the field all through the season 
to facilitate the handling. Where large quan¬ 
tities arc grown and marketed, 100 of these 
boxes, each with a wooden cover for shade and 
rain protection, are almost indispensable. In 
picking up, the boxes can, with good yield, be 
each filled almost without moving, and a 
wagon can at any time be drawn along the 
row and loaded in a few moments. The crop 
is, however, at best so heavy, so hard to han¬ 
dle, so susceptible to loss from frost, rot and 
shrinkage, that it is wise to market directly 
from the field when that is possible, and crops 
are fairly remunerative. 
Profits. — When the soil is adapted and 
skill, business energy and sagacity are used, 
potato growing as a specialty pays good 
profits. But t here must be either a chance to 
purchase stable manure cheap, or else the farm 
must be large enough to raise clover and other 
crops in rotation and produce considerable 
manure, and have the same field in potatoes 
not ofteuer than twice in six years, or there is 
liability to soil exhaustion. The history of po¬ 
tato growing in Ohio for 40 years justifies this 
statement. 
Columbus, Ohio. 
WHERE WE MUST LOOK FOR IM¬ 
PROVEMENT. 
DR. E. LEWIS STURTEVANT. 
Such views as I bave to ex j tress ou the im¬ 
provement of the potato must be considered 
rather as tentative than as conclusive, as they 
must be put to test before any claims can be 
made. We seem to have attained to the limit 
of progress in certain directions. So far as 
size, shape and quality are concerned, varieties 
can be named which we can scarcely exited to 
have excelled. Improvement, therefore, it 
seems to me, must come from two directions. 
First, in securing increased prolificacy; this 
we have reason to believe can be accomplished 
by using for seed, year after year, tubers from 
the most prolific lulls of the preceding crop. 
Two years’ trial of this coin's© has showed 
marked gain. The next improvement to be 
considered is hardiness and the power ot re¬ 
sisting rot; we may obtain this as well perhaps 
as different flavors from originating new 
varieties, through crossing of the wild pota¬ 
toes aud careful selections from different 
regions. There seems to be some hope in Eng¬ 
land that such results may be obtained through 
the use of Sohiuum mnglia, as this potato has 
the property of bearing its tubers at a great, 
depth below the ground, aud presumably be¬ 
low the influence of access of rot. spores, i 
have been unable as yet to obtain any seed of 
these wild species. If our Government, liow- 
ever, should send to South America and obtain 
tubers from the wild species and wild varie¬ 
ties found there, aud should distribute these 
tubers among careful men in various portions 
of this country, I think, in the course of time, 
some very valuable results might come ironi it. 
The ideal potato, in my view, should he of 
medium size, of fine shape, white color, with¬ 
out sunken eyes, and of early maturity, or in 
other words, quick-growing. It should be 
hardy, rot-resisting, should grow its tubers 
closely together in the bill, and should be pro¬ 
lific. 
Geneva, N. Y. 
POTATO NOTES. 
JONATHAN TALCOTT. 
In regard to the culture of the potato, there 
seems to be no royal road to the most complete 
success, that can be adopted by all cultivators 
ou all soils. Iu my experiments, success is 
sometimes attained when and where least ex¬ 
pected. 
Early in the present century, when my an¬ 
cestors first settled on the farm on which I 
now reside, when the land was newly cleared 
of its heavy growth of timber, crops of lour or 
five hundred bushels |>er acre wore common, 
without any special care or attention, aud it 
the farmer got his potatoes planted before the 
Fourth of July, and es-peeially If planted in 
June, they were thought to be put in quite 
