ISIS 
SUPPLEMENT T© 
BUBAL NEW-YOBKIB, 
205 
POTATO 
SPECIAL 
OF TIIE 
Rural New-Yorker. 
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 200. 
POTATO EXPERIMENTS AT THE 
RURAL EXPERIMENT GROUNDS. 
O. K. Mammoth on poor , light soil yielded 
as follows: 
Bushels. 
With no fertilizer—rate of.191.54 
1 ‘ 200 lbs. Lister’s Fertilizer, per acre. 252.04 
“ 000 “ “ “ “ “ 483.54 
White Star, under the same condition of 
soil, etc.: 
Bushels. 
With no fertilizer—rate of.231.88 
“ 300 lbs. Mapes’s Potato Fertilizer..370.27 
“ 600 “ “ “ 11 852.88 
in rich soil was at rate of 806.66 bushels per 
acre. The same kind of potato cut to a single 
eye, at one end, with a narrow cylindrical 
piece running through the potato, cultivated 
in the same way, yielded at the rate of 211.T5 
bushels. 
The quantity of flesh that should *go with 
each seed piece is, theoretically, that which, 
without unnecessary waste, will support the 
eyes until, by the growth of roots, support 
from the flesh is no longer required. Repeated 
experiments alone can determine how much of 
seed nutriment may be needed. Difference in 
sorts or seasons, causing rapid or slower 
growth, must be taken into account in prepar¬ 
ing seed. 
On page 682 of the Rural for 1884 will be 
found an elaborated statement of experiments 
with different fertilizers on potatoes in a 
“worn-out,” sandy, loam soil. Twenty-seven 
different single fertilizers or combinations 
were used. The best yield was obtained with 
a mixture of 500 pounds of Mapes’s potato man¬ 
ure and 50 pounds of kainit per acre with hay 
mulch. Ten tons of old farm manure gave 
fewer potatoes than 800 pounds of potato fer¬ 
tilizer, and a larger number were of market¬ 
able size. 
“ 1200 “ “ 
“ 300 “ Lister’s 
“ 600 “ “ 
“ 1200 “ “ 
Single strong eyes gave a yield at the rate 
of 171.45 bushels; two strong eyes, 252bushels; 
three strong eyes 292.50; four strong eyes 
322.86. 
Two-eyed pieces of Queen of the Valley 
planted in a spade-wide trench four inches 
deep, covered lightly with soil, the furrow 
nearly tilled with cut straw with the fertilizer 
placed on the straw, yielded at the rate of 
169.40 bushels to the acre. The same sized 
pieces planted under alternate layers of soil 
and hen manure, yielded at the rate of 405,83 
bushels per acre. 
With salt at the rate of 40 bushels per acre 
spread on the soil, the seed pieces rotted in the 
ground. 
Two-eyed pieces of Peerless were first cov¬ 
ered with soil lightly, then w’ith salt at the 
rate of 15 bushels per acre, then with stable 
manure, then with hen manure, at the rate 
of SO bushels per acre, and finally with uu- 
leached ashes at the rate of 15 bushels. It was 
desired to learn (1) whether a surfeit of man¬ 
ure would increase the yield, and (2) whether 
the salt would prevent, the depredations of 
wire-worms. Tlie yield though at the rate of 
236.88 bushels, wms yet smaller than the yield 
of the same number of pieces when fertilized 
with stable manure alone. They were badly 
eaten by the wire-worms. 
Potatoes tested in a rich soil, and shaded 
after 12 m., yielded at the rate of 899.80 bush¬ 
els. The same variety, under the same condit¬ 
ions of culture, shaded until 2 p m., yielded at 
the rate Of 520.80 bushels. The afternoon sun, 
in this experiment, gave more potatoes of a 
smaller size. 
lb is more economical to mix Paris-green 
with plaster than with water. The water 
mixture is never perfect. A table-spoonful of 
the plaster will be needed to render a pailful 
of water effective, while the same quantity 
thoroughly mixed, will do the work for two 
pailfuls of plaster. Much of the water mix¬ 
ture falls to the ground and is lost. What 
falls upon the plant collects upon the center 
of the leaves so that the hugs can eat the edges 
safely. The poisoned plaster settles upon all 
parts of the leaves, and the bugs are killed 
with comparatively little injury to the vines. 
At the rate of 40 bushels of unleaehed ashes 
yielded 184 potatoes with 78 marketable, while 
at I he rate of 55 bushels of hen manure per 
acre yielded 347 potatoes with only 47 market' 
able. Nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia, 
hen manure, coal ashes and ground bone gave 
the smallest percentage of marketable pota¬ 
toes. Potash alone did no good. Dissolved 
burnt bone, which furnishes phosphoric acid 
only, did no good. Nitrogen increased the 
growth of the vines, which for want of potash 
and phosphoric acid in the soil, gave no in¬ 
crease of tubers. Complete fertilizers in 
every case gave an increase of crop. 
If you do not know what the potato laud 
needs, apply complete fertilisers till you find 
out. A ton of potash might be spread upon 
the land without any result. Plants, like 
human beings, need a complete food. On 
some soils a single element will make the food 
complete, while in others several must be ap¬ 
plied. It does not pay to experiment upon 
the whole piece with a single element. 
_ * 
Barn manure, aside from its mechanical 
effects, is the same as the concentrated fertil¬ 
izers except that it is less soluble. If we could 
burn tlie barnyard manure and preserve its 
nitrogen we should have what we apply as a 
chemical fertilizer. 
Pieces cut from the seed end yielded at the 
rate of 118.96 iter acre. Pieces from stem end 
with similar conditions of soil and cultivation, 
yielded at the rate of 164.20. Seed-end pieces 
appear above the ground first, but there is 
little difference in the time of maturity. 
Drought and lack of available food are the 
two great enemies of great yields of potatoes. 
The latter can be supplied by fertilizers. We 
cannot control the seasons. By means of 
mulching, we can conserve moisture to be 
used by the plant during the dry season. It 
is evident that the tuber takes no part in the 
nourishment of the plant, but that it must be 
nourished by the plant and its roots. The 
tuber is so largely made up of water that auy 
lack of supply chocks the growth materially. 
Experiment (?>voumb of the llural 
££eu>-'£joYkrr. 
TESTS OF NEW VARIETIES OF POTA¬ 
TOES CONTINUED. 
SOIL, CULTURE, ETC. 
231.80 
332.71 
898.21 
812.50 
It will be bal'd to improve upon Paris-green 
as an insecticide. When property applied it 
need not injure tlie leaves in the smallest de¬ 
gree. Mix on an unused floor, using an iron 
rake. Buy pure Paris-green, uud use enough 
to impart the first tint of green to the plaster. 
London-purple is a powerful insecticide, but 
we find that it will not bear anything like so 
much extension as Paris-green. If used too 
strong, the leaves are at once scorched. 
It does not pay to try and pick oft' the first 
potato lieetles in the hope of saving work later 
on. If all the parent beetles could l»e destroy¬ 
ed, there would be no grubs, but at the time 
of picking, a large proportion of the lieetles 
will be concealed under tlie ground, or be creep¬ 
ing about from place to place, so that it is 
impossible to destroy them nil, Whenever this 
work has been attempted, we have still been 
driven to the use of Paris-green as in previous 
years, so that the work is thrown away. 
A good-sized Fearless Potato was peeled so 
that but one strong eye was left at the mid¬ 
dle with a narrow ring of skin about it. Tlie 
design was to plaut a single strong eye with 
the^whole potato as a'seed piece. The yield 
Subscribers should understand that these tests are 
made lu a rich, moist, Kardeti soil. The crop never 
suffers seriously either rront drought or too much 
wet, ns the land is well drained. Not only has farm 
manure beou liberally supplied, but fertilizers of ev¬ 
ery kind have been used In abundance. Potatoes have 
beou raised on this plot for six consecutive years. 
Trenches are dug one foot wide and six Inches deep, 
and three feet apart. Two Inches of anil are raked 
back In the trenches, nml the seed pieces (two strong 
eyes eachl are placed one foot apart. Two Inches of 
soil are then raked over them, and the fertilizer Is 
strewn evenly at the rate of about 1,000 pounds to 
the acre. The rest of the soli Is then returned to the 
trenches ns loosely as possible. The cultivation is 
then effected by hand cultivators, and hilling up Is 
studiously avoided. _ 
Charles Downing, Received from O. II. 
Alexander, of Charlotte, Vermont. Plant¬ 
ed April 15; dug August 4. Four pieces 
yielded 44 potatoes, 86 marketable. None 
very small. Resembles Beauty of Hebron, ex¬ 
cept it may be a little earlier. Weight seven 
pounds. Best five weighed one pound seven 
ounces. This per acre would be 428.50 bush¬ 
els. The cut of the Lake George Potato serves 
for this iu every way. 
Lake GEORGE. Also from Mr. Alexander, 
Planted April 20; dug in early August. It is 
earlier than Early Rose—perhaps one of the 
earliest potatoes we have ever tested. Five 
seed pieces yielded 51 tubers, of which 39 were 
of rather small marketable size. Weight 7y 
pouuds. Five largest weighed one-and-a-half 
pound, an average of 8}£ to a hill. This 
yield per acre would be 302,50 bushels. Eaten 
when dug. Flesh not so white as E. Rose: 
quality inferior. See Fig. 121 (p. 199). 
Great Eastern (Raud) from Thorburn & 
Co. Plauted April 15. Late. Six seed 
pieces plauted, which yielded 10 pounds of 
potatoes. 34 in number, of which 28 were 
marketable. Yield per acre at the rate of 
408.83 bushels. Buff skin; eyes rather deep; 
shape variable. Eateu Dec. 1st. This seems 
to be of the Peachblow class, the quality of 
which is never good as raised iu this soil. 
White Lily, renamed Early Standard, 
from George Nigh, of Piqua, Ohio, was acci¬ 
dentally mixed with others when dug. He 
says it is a cross between White Star and 
Beauty of Hebron, and 10 or 20 days earlier 
than any other, handsomer, a greater yielder, 
and equal if not superior iu quality to any 
other potato grown iu the world. Rather im¬ 
portant claims certainly. 
Murray’s Gold Flake, from William 
Murray, Mount Gilead, Morrow County, Ohio, 
who says; “This Is supposed to be a sport of 
the Mammoth Pearl. It was found among 
a lot while digging, the Fall of 1883. Its pe¬ 
culiar color, good shape and smoothness 
attracted my attention and I carefully pre¬ 
served and planted them the Spring of 1884. 
They are a-s good as any of the much talked-of 
new kinds.” 
Six seed pieces were plauted April 20, and 
yielded, August 15, 43 tubers, weighing 12 
pounds, of which 29 were marketable. The 
best five weighed three pounds three ounces. 
The shape is broad, short, somewhat roundish, 
some flattened. Fig. 120 (page 197), presents 
the shape as nearly as we could determine it. 
Eyes not deep, but iarge. Skin of a russet or 
dull yellowish color. Distinct iu appearance*. 
The yield would be at the rate of 510.66 
bushels to the acre. Eateu November IS. 
Flesh nearly white—quality not of the best as 
raised iu this soil. 
Rose’s Beauty of Beauties.— From A. 
Rose (Penn Yen, N. Y.), who writes: “It is a 
seedling of the Peachblow.” Nine, seed pieces 
were planted April 20. It is a late potato. 
The yield was 10 pounds. 52 tubers, of which 
37 were marketable. The best five weighed 
pounds. This yield would be at the rate 
of 428.50 bushels per acre. Yellow-buff skin; 
eyes medium iu number, a trifle deep. Eaten 
Novembers. Flesh yellow-white, soggy. Our 
illustration (Fig. 123, p. 197), shows the typical 
shape. 
Vermont Favorite, from 0. H. Alexan¬ 
der, Charlotte. Vermont. Five pieces were 
plauted April 21. Late. Yield 16' t pounds— 
45 tubers, 29 marketable. Best five weighed 
four pounds eight ounces. The yield is at 
the rate of 786.50 bushels per acre. A chunky 
potato, usually smaller at one end and trun¬ 
cate at the other, as shown at Fig. 122 (p. 1971. 
Eyes medium as to number aud depression. A 
large, coarse potato. Eaten October 28. Wet 
and heavy,- 
Potato Figures. We give below the po¬ 
tato production iu the United States for the 
14 years, from 1871 to 18S4 inclusive. The 
largest average yield was 111 bushels iu 1875. 
In this year tbe price averaged but 37 cents, 
while iu 1881, when the average was but 53 
bushels, the price rose to 91 cents. The aver¬ 
age yield for the 14 years was 93 bushels, and 
the average price 49 cents, making the aver¬ 
age product per acre for this crop $45.51. 
The average value of the corn crop for the 
same period, was, in round numbers, $12, and 
of wheat $18 per acre. 
Acres. 
Bushels. 
Value. 
1871. 
1,220,912 
120,416,100 
$72,249,660 
1872, 
1,331,331 
113,516.000 
68,109,600 
1878, 
1,295,139 
106,089,000 
74,249,660 
1874, 
1,3 io,mi 
105,981.000 
72.067.080 
1875, 
1,510,041 
166,877,000 
65,082,080 
1876, 
1,741,983 
184.S27.000 
93,334,090 
1877, 
1,792,287 
170.092.000 
76,541,400 
1878, 
1,776,000 
124.130,050 
73,284,723 
1879, 
1,839,800 
182,626,400 
79,914.736 
1880, 
1,842,510 
167,659,570 
80,476,593 
1881, 
2,041,670 
109.145,4(4 
99,322,399 
1882, 
3,171,080 
170,972 500 
95,304,844 
1888, 
2,289,275 
208,164,425 
87.849.901 
1884, 
2,216,800 
190,263,008 
75,802,480 
Of the crop of 1884, the latest for which 
complete returns have been received, the 
New England States, with New York. New 
Jersey and Pennsylvania, produced 51,985,52$ 
bushels, or about 27 per cent, of the entire 
product, with a value of more than $30,000,- 
000. These States, with Ohio, Michigan, 
Illinois and Iowa, produced more than half 
the entire crop of the country. The average 
value of an acre of potatoes in New England 
was $49. In the Gulf States au acre of pota¬ 
toes brought $i>8: in California $57; in Ohio 
$81. In 1884 Great Britain and Ireland, with 
a population of 34,872,560, had 1,373,885 acres 
in potatoes; or, with 67 per cent, of the pop¬ 
ulation of the United States, the United King¬ 
dom had only 60 per ceut. of our potato acre¬ 
age, though the average yield was larger. 
CULTURE OF THE POTATO. 
FRANK FORD. 
The varieties most extensively grown aud 
found most profitable for market here are 
Burbank, White Star. O. K. Mammoth, aud 
Orange County White. The White Elephant, 
Queen of the Valley, and Mammoth Pearl are 
raised to some extent. The State of Maine 
and Rochester Favorite are varieties that will 
be largely planted when better known. Both 
are of fine quality and very productive. Very 
few early potatoes are grown for market. 
Those mostly grown for our local market and 
home use are Lee’s Favorite, Clark’s No. 1. 
aud Beauty of Hebron; all of the very best 
quality aud good yielders. The Empire State 
did well last season and promises to be a 
leading variety. Its quality is excellent. 
I prefer to plant on ground that was 
thoroughly enriched and planted to corn the 
previous year. Use no fresh manure: but, 
instead, Mapes’s or some other fertilizer of 
about the same analysis, Next to corn ground 
I prefer clover sod. I would not plow until 
time to plant, and then I would as deep as the 
nature of the ground will admit without 
turning up too much poor soil. Pulverize the 
soil thoroughly. The Acme Pulverizer does 
good work, but is very hard on the team. 
Mark out the ground in straight rows three 
feet apart, and from three to five inches deep: 
plant deeper in light soil than in clay. Cut 
the potatoes so as to give to each piece enough 
substance to sustain the sprouts till they have 
grown enough to enable the roots to take nour¬ 
ishment enough from the soil to keep up a 
rapid growth, whether it be one, t wo, three, 
or more eyes to each piece. For very early 
planting of early varieties, plant medium¬ 
sized whole tubeis for best results. 
Drop the pieces about a foot apart in the 
row. Cover with the Planet Jr. Coverer. 
Planting begins here early in April and con¬ 
tinues till the first of June. I prefer the 
middle of May. It is well to harrow the 
ground once or twice before the potatoes ap¬ 
pear above the surface, but never afterwards. 
I have used Mapes’s and Bradley’s Special 
Fertilizers with splendid results, both in the 
drill and mixed with the soil before the pota¬ 
toes were dropped, and by covering the seed 
about an inch and then scattering the fer¬ 
tilizer along the rows, the tubers are of 
more uniform size and less liable to be scabby- 
and the yield will be larger. 
I hill the potatoes but very little, for I pre¬ 
fer flat culture as nearly as can be given, 
while using the Planet Jr. Cultivator often 
enough to keep the ground mellow, allowing 
scarcely a weed to start. I know of no way 
to avoid blight or rot, and know less about 
scab than I thought I did several years ago; 
hut that fungus is the cause cannot be dis¬ 
proved by facts. 'Wire-worms eat into pota¬ 
toes and make holes, but that is not scab. 
We dig with forks, and the thousands of 
car-loads shipped from Portage County are 
mostly dug by hand either with forks or 
hooks. No potato digger that has been tried 
has given satisfaction. We sort and sack our 
tubers in the field, never allowing them to lie 
iu the sun longer'tlian we can help. They are 
carefully hauled to the Cellar aud put where 
they are to remain till used or sold. The 
cellar is kept dark and as cool as possible 
without chilling the potatoes. The small 
tubers are fed to stock, being never used for 
seed. I prefer to dig soon after the tops are 
thoroughly ripe, and before the fall rains 
have soaked tbe ground. I raise potatoes 
mostly for seed; but those who grow largely 
for ordinary market, think it pays best to 
sell from the field, even if the price is not 
quite as high as thev wish, as it saves storing 
and a gi'eat deal of heavy work. 
My ideal potato would lie oblong aud 
slightly flattened or oval, medium-sized with 
pink or flesh-colored skin, abundant and 
rather prominent eyes, denoting good yield¬ 
ers; flavor free from the old Peachblow taste, 
but so pure as to be really palatable without 
even salt as a condiment. 1 have now a very 
few such, and on fair farm soil they should 
yield not less than 250 bushels per acre, and 
should ripen early or medium early. 
The average yield of potatoes in this 
vicinity is not over 100 bushels of marketable 
tubers per acre by the ordinary slovenly 
methods pursued. I think it a poor yield if 
I do not get over 200 bushels, and often run 
to 500 without any special amount of fertil¬ 
izers or care. Li growing potatoes, there are 
a few essential points that must be kept in 
view to insure a good yield—use a fair or lib¬ 
eral amount, of seed; plant as deep as the 
nature of the soil will admit ; keep the ground 
mellow; never allow a weed to grow, and 
make a judicious selection of varieties. 
We conquer the Colorado Beetle with Paris- 
green—a small teaspoouful to a three-gallon 
can of water, or, if used with plaster, one 
pound to 200 pounds of the latter; this is quite 
