98 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
THE POTATO. 
A very pleasant and obliging friend, an eminent phy¬ 
sician, once said to me, “ Give me plenty of good pota¬ 
toes, and I will never starve.” A gentleman of talents 
and education, an extensive traveler on both sides of 
the Atlantic, April, 1836, while sitting at my table and 
feasting on my large, well-baked and delicious long 
reds, denominated them “ bounties.” I once heard a 
little fellow exclaim, “ Good cracked open potatoes in 
the morning, Oh! how good!” The potatoe is indeed a 
noble and generous root—a great dietetic blessing,—and 
like the Indian corn, the boast, as well as the native of 
America. This valuable plant is said to have been ori¬ 
ginally wild, unpleasant to the taste, and poisonous; 
wholly unused by the Aborigines; and to have been 
brought to its present state of perfection by cultivation. 
What I know of its history is as follows:—Near the 
close of the 16th century, Sir Walter Raleigh, an enter¬ 
prising British nobleman, made several attempts to 
plant an English colony in Virginia. Once, after coast¬ 
ing along the fertile Guiana, entered the mouth of the 
grand and beautiful Oronoko, and, for purposes of disco¬ 
very, sailed up that river 600 miles. That he found 
the potato somewhere in America, is acknowledged on 
all hands; but where, we are not informed;—probably up 
the Oronoko. I have of late heard of it in a wild state, 
somewhere on the south-west coast of South America. 
It is a matter of history, that said Sir Walter, about the 
time just named, introduced the potato into Ireland. 
After trying it in his garden, from the seed balls I con¬ 
clude, and observing no occular domonstration of good 
promise, he ordered his gardener to extirpate it, as “a 
useless weed.” On doing this he found unexpectedly, at 
the roots, a bushel of tine potatoes. After this, it was 
cultivated as an esculent root in Ireland about a hundred 
years, when it was, with some improvement, returned to 
America, and introduced as a curiosity upon the table of 
the Governor of Massachusetts. When a child, I learn¬ 
ed from a very aged woman, who was a cook in said 
Governor's family, that she first saw potatoes there about 
the beginning of the 18th century, and that they were 
small and of disagreeable flavor. Her observation then 
was, “ If great folks like such things as these, because 
they are novelties, I am sure they are welcome to them 
for all me.” Much prejudice was against the potato, 
causing a very scanty cultivation of it, even so late as 
the war of the revolution; which prejudice is not yet 
entirely eradicated. 
The more observable qualities of the potatoe are, 
1. It does not too highly excite the human appetite. 
This is a grand affair in the province of temperance and 
health. Even the best table varieties are not liable to 
be eaten to excess. 
2. There is probably no kind of food that has a more 
just and healthful proportion of bulk and nutriment. 
Its proportion of soluble and nutricious matter is said to 
be 25 per cent; whereas that of the beet is 14—of barley 
83—of wheat 85—of rice and beans about 90—and peas 
93. This fact renders it easy of digestion, and unlikely 
to surcharge the system, and produce dyspepsy; a matter 
by no means unworthy of sober notice and reflection. 
3. The potato, like milk, contains a just proportion of 
aqueous substance, combined with the nutriment, that it 
is for man and beast, both food and drink. This is a great 
convenience, especially for those who labor abroad— 
for those who wish to fatten cattle with potatoes, while 
in a state of confinement—and for people at sea, where 
this root can be preserved. 
4. It is very easily grown and cooked; of course a 
very cheap article of food. 
5. It does not exhaust the soil like most other vege¬ 
tables, especially oats and turneps, and leaves it in a good 
state for some other crop. 
6. New varieties, and the best, are easily obtained 
from the seed-balls; taking however about three or four 
years to bring them to maturity, when trial and just se¬ 
lection may be made. 
7. It is very easily preserved, whether dried like 
fruits or not; whether reduced to its farina or starch, 
or kept in its original state. It never rots without gross 
abuse, or exposure, and is never “strong” as it is called, 
I think, nor, of course, poisonous, without too much 
heat from the sun, or fire, or warmth in the cellar, or 
being too long in warm or hot water at boiling. If you 
would have the best potatoes goo hn\our table, then 
keep them shaded, moist and cool—cook them just enough, as 
quickly as possible, and then have them away from water 
and heat. I think the potato cut up in a raw state, 
dried and ground into meal, should help much in any 
preparation of bread stuff, especially griddles and pud¬ 
dings. Let it be tried. 
As to the merits of different varieties, the Chenangos or 
Novaseotias, the Leopards, the Long Whites, the Deep 
Blues, the Carters above all, and some others, are all ex¬ 
cellent for the table. But, on the xchole, I prefer the 
Early Reds, (which I produced from the seed-ball my¬ 
self,) the Blue Kidneys, and the Blue Pointers, mixed 
together for early growths—ihe Long Reds, after being 
acclimated, for feeding out to cattle—and the Carters for 
the table, after becoming ripe. These last, well cooked, 
approach the nearest to good wheat flour. 
As to the manner of seeding, I plant about 15 bushels 
the acre, cutting the large ones to save seed. After 
trying the planting of large and small, cut and not cut, 
I never saw any difference in the results. 
With regard to methods of cultivation, there exists 
much prejudice and misconception. I will give my 
own method, towards which I have been long approach¬ 
ing, while I have, in agriculture, been endeavoring to di¬ 
minish the expense and increase the profit. 
Let sward ground be generally used, after becoming 
well rotted either by being plowed long enough before¬ 
hand, or by growing thereon previously a crop of oats. 
Spread on some 30 loads of manure to the acre; plow deep 
and fine, just before planting; furrow 2f feet apart very 
lightly, so that when the potatoes, planted about one foot 
apart, are properly covered with a hoe, the ground shall 
be left level: cover lightly, and just as deep as in your 
judgment will cause the seed to come up, and no more; 
hoe once at proper time, and once only, assisted by a 
light harrow or cultivator; but leave the ground as level 
as possible. If weeds appear of considerable size, mow 
them with the potatoe tops before hard frost, and hay the 
whole for cattle. All this together makes excellent hay, 
if well made. The later you dig your potatoes the bet¬ 
ter, if kept out of the way of frost. Should you desire 
the greatest present profit from well-managed corn ground , 
plant about 5 bushels of potatoes the acre, and a few 
pumpkins wih your Indiain corn. Peas and beans, plant¬ 
ed in the rows, sometimes do well, without injury to the 
potatoes. 
But do not, I entreat, furrow your ground too deeply 
for any seed—do not put manure in the‘‘hill,” or 
“ hole”—do not press the ground over the seed at plant¬ 
ing—do not plow between the rows—-do not “ hill up;” 
but leave the ground as level as convenient till harvest; 
for the old practices are pernicious errors, causing much 
hard labor to be useless or worse. 
It is a maxim with me, founded, I think, on the dic¬ 
tates of nature and reason, that where there is the most 
manure, there is needed the most water. How does it 
seem then, to put the manure in the hole, and then hill 
up, to turn away the water from the very place where 
you caused it to be most needed? 
I have obtained at the rate of 634 2-5 bushels of early 
Blue Pointers the acre. But my average crop, during 
24 years, has not varied far from 200 bushels the acre. 
During many years, I have not boiled potatoes for any 
brute animals, believing it does not “ quit cost.” 
In 1842, I obtained from | of an acre, 26 bushels of 
Rohan potatoes, and rising of 6 hundred of excellent 
hay, by mowing all above ground, as before suggested. 
This hay was worth quite half as much as the potatoes. 
Whoever would grow rich by farming in high cold 
regions, must turn his attention much, and properly, to 
grass, oats and potatoes. 
Respectfully to all concerned, 
Ezekiel Rich. 
Troy , New-IIamp. Jan. 30th, 1844. 
Liberality to the earth, is the source of its bounty* 
