THE CULTIVATOR. 
107 
POTATOES. 
The malady which has prevailed for a year or two, 
among potatoes, may operate as a discouragement to plant¬ 
ing them as extensively as formerly. We venture not to 
give an opinion, from the little that is yet known, in re¬ 
gard to the origin of this disease, or to recommend any 
specific remedy; bul from what we have seen, should 
not hesitate to adopt the following rules in planting, cul¬ 
tivation, &c. 1. To plant on loamy soils, of medium 
dryness. 2. If stable manure is used, let it be well mix¬ 
ed with the soil, and not left (especially if unfermented,) 
in too great quantity in the hill. 3. Plant good sized, 
sound potatoes, cutting only the largest ones. Very small 
potatoes, or small pieces, are not ldcely to sprout so vig¬ 
orously as large ones. The first food of the young plant 
is the substance of the old potatoe, and the greater the 
supply of this food, the more rapid, of course, is the ear¬ 
ly growth of the shoot. It is true that under entirely fa¬ 
vorable circumstances of soil, season, &c., the shoot from 
a small potatoe or from small pieces, may succeed, and 
the product from them in such cases, may not be much 
less; but it is reasonable that the shoot from a good si¬ 
zed and sound potatoe would be stronger, and less pre¬ 
disposed to suffer from any unfavorable influences belong¬ 
ing either to the soil or atmosphere. 4. Plant as early 
as the ground is in a proper state. Many cases might be 
cited where early planted potatoes escaped the blight or 
disease, and produced a good crop, when the same vari¬ 
ety, planted later on a piece immediately adjoining, were 
much injured. 5. Plant only varieties of known hardi¬ 
ness. Much depends on this. Some kinds have always 
been remarkable for their healthy, hardy constitutions; 
at the same time producing more than others under the 
same circumstances. Of the feeble sorts, there is the 
Mercer, called also Chenango, Meshanic, (corrupted 
from Neshannock,) which from its supposed or acknow¬ 
ledged good qualities for the table, has been widely cul¬ 
tivated for several years past; but which has always been 
subject to blight—more so than most other kinds. We 
are not aware of any good qualities possessed by this po¬ 
tatoe that are not to be had in several other kinds, which 
have the advantage of greater hardiness and productive¬ 
ness as well as soundness. 6. In cultivation, keep the 
crop clean lrom the « first start,” but avoid plowing or 
working it when the ground is so wet as to be in the least 
muddy, and do not use the plow or cultivator after the 
blossoms appear; as a mutilation of the roots after this, 
may damage the setting of the tubers. Having used all 
these, and other reasonable precautions, we may say in 
the language of a witty disciple of Esculapius, 
“ If after that they choose to die, 
Why, verily I let’s ’em.” 
MAKING FENCE. 
Every man knows that a good, strong, neat and straight 
fence is better than a crooked, ugly, and inefficient one. 
We have plenty of awkwardly built board fence all 
through the country; a little more pains, and some know¬ 
ledge, would have made them better in every respect, 
with the same or less material, with no more labor. In¬ 
deed, working by rule, is not only nearer and better, but 
is generally much faster than by irregularity. 
In digging the holes, they should be large enough to al¬ 
low the pounder to work freely all round, and should in 
no case be less than two feet and a half deep. If less in 
depth, the fence will be in danger of leaning and becom¬ 
ing twisted, drawing the nails, lessening its strength, and 
destroying its good appearance. 
To set the posts perfectly straight , stakes should first be 
driven on the line as accurately as possible, and two posts 
several rods distant, firmly set, perpendicularly, and pre¬ 
cisely on the line. A strong cord, with a length twice 
as great as the distance between these two posts, is then 
to be very tightly stretched from one post to the other, 
near the surface of the ground; and passing back again 
from the second post to the first, near the top of each 
post. The face of each post is then to be set against 
these two cords; in this way, the workmen form a true 
right line with them, not varying half an inch, with the! 
greatest facility. The pounder , for beating the earth firm¬ 
ly about them, should be shod at the lower end with % 
cast iron head. One hand should shovel in slowly, while 
another beats the successive layers firmly with the poun¬ 
der ; and if water is occasionally poured in, to soften the 
earth to the consistency of very stiff brick clay, it will 
pack more closely, and the post stand firmer when it be¬ 
comes dry. 
This mode of setting by two stretched cords, will ena¬ 
ble a common operator to set nearly twice as many in a 
day, as by simply ranging with stakes without a line; and 
in addition, the work will be more accurately done. The 
cord, to be sufficiently strong, should not be much less 
than common bed-cord. 
In nailing on the hoards, the top board is first to be ve¬ 
ry accurately placed, as a guide for the rest of the fence. 
Where the surface of the ground is level, the top of this 
board should be perfectly straight, which may be done 
by stretching a cord tightly across the face of the line of 
posts, raising it from the slight curve it falls into, by a 
nail driven a quarter of an inch into each post. A little 
experience will enable any one to dispense with the use 
of the line, driving the nails in an exact range. Against 
this line of nails, the top board is to be placed and secu¬ 
red by nailing. 
Where the surface of the ground is uneven, the fence, 
to suit it, should not be broken into awkward and irregu¬ 
lar angles, but should pass over it by a succession of 
graceful curves. Such curves are easily made by a row 
of nails as already stated, each successive nail being dri¬ 
ven a quarter of an inch or less, above the right line, in 
passing over a hollow, and below the right line, when 
rounding over a hill. These successive distances are ea¬ 
sily estimated by the eye, with sufficient accuracy, with¬ 
out measuring. The annexed figure, strongly represent¬ 
ed, to exhibit more plainly, will show how this is done. 
An experienced hand will thus lay off fifty rods in half a 
day. Marking the height of the fence on every fifth pos$ 
with chalk, previously, will be useful. 
To assist in nailing on the other boards, accurately and 
rapidly, procure two pieces of board, the length of which 
is to be equal to the height of the fence, or a little more, 
and saw notches in them, as represented in the 
annexed figure. The projections thus left, sup¬ 
port the boards while they are nailed to the posts, 
these pieces of board being hung, by the upper 
projection, upon the top board, already in its 
place. All the distances between the different 
boards are thus measured without error, and one 
hand will proceed alone with the work as fast as 
two could do without this contrivance. 
Then nail in blocks, made of square pieces of 
the fence board, on the face of the posts, between 
the boards; and over the whole of these, nail an 
upright facing board against each post, which se- 
(Fig. 34.) cures the whole firmly to their places. These 
I blocks may be made from small waste pieces, and require 
very little time to fit and nail them, while they afford 
great and permanent strength to the fence, as it is impos¬ 
sible to tear off or crowd from its position a single board 
without tearing down the whole fence. As but a single 
nail is thus needed for a board at each post, and also a 
single nail for each block, a less quantity of nails is need¬ 
ed in constructing it. 
A neatly made fence, with narrow horizontal boards, 
has a much better appearance in the immediate vicinity 
of a dwelling, and among trees, than a picket fence. 
Where made of rough boards, as common farm fences 
they may as well be made neatly as awkwardly; and a 
coat of lime white-wash, early in summer, for a few suc¬ 
cessive seasons, will render these rough materials les3 li¬ 
able to decay than a covering of oil paint. 
A proper width of the boards, and of the distances be- 
