THE CULTIVATOR. 
55 
and not widely differing in appearance from those of 
the first year’s growth from seeds. There is an idea 
prevalent among many farmers that potatoes are mixed, 
or what by the breeder of animals would be called 
crossed, by having several kinds planted in the vicinity 
of each other. This is an erroneous opinion. The 
crossing takes place in the flowers or seeds and not in 
the roots ; and hence there is the same uncertainty that 
the seeds of any given variety of this root will produce 
potatoes of the parent kind, that there is that the apple 
seeds will give apples like those from which they are 
taken, a thing of very rare occurence. 
Every farmer who has paid attention to the manner 
of growth in the potato, is aware that the tubers are 
not produced from the roots proper, these being, as in 
other plants, used solely for the purpose of nutrition, but 
on shoots thrown out above these, and nearer the sur¬ 
face of the earth. It was the opinion of Decandolle 
that by repeated coverings of the stem such shoots, and 
of course potatoes could be produced the whole length 
of the stalk, and some experiments that he made seem¬ 
ed to favor such a supposition; still we must be per¬ 
mitted to say, that having in part repeated his experi¬ 
ments, we have found nothingto justify the opinion that 
such a result would be effected by this treatment of the 
stem. 
The propriety of cutting the tubers or planting them 
whole has been much discussed, and the multitude of 
experiments on record would seem to show by their 
conflicting results, that at least as much is depending on 
other circumstances, as on the root being planted in a 
whole or cut state. If an acre of ground be planted in hills 
or drills with whole potatoes, and another acre be plant¬ 
ed with setts or cuttings at equal distances with the oth¬ 
er, the experiments made by the London Horticultural 
Society would go to prove that the acre planted with 
whole potatoes would yield the most, but not much if 
anymore than the additional quantity of seed required 
in planting. If whole potatoes are used, from twenty- 
five to thirty bushels will be used ; If cut, not more than 
half that quantity will be required. In both cases, 
however, much will be depending on the size of the 
whole potatoes, and the number of eyes in those cut. 
The distance between the rows must be determined by 
the length of stem produced by the potato, and the 
several varieties vary much in this respect. 
In cultivating the potato a climate rather cool and 
moist is found most preferable to any other. Of course 
the root succeeds much better in the northern states 
and in the adjoining British provinces than in the south¬ 
ern parts of our country. In the north, parts of Maine 
and New-Hampshire, and the Province of New-Bruns- 
wick, are celebrated for the excellence of their potatoes. 
In New-York, the tract lying east of Lake Ontario, be¬ 
tween that and the Mohawk and Black rivers produces 
good potatoes; and the elevated lands in the south of 
New-York and the north of Pennsylvania are noted not 
only for the quality of their potatoes but the large crops 
they annually produce. The potato will succeed well 
on almost any kind of land provided it is rich, and is 
not wet and clayey; but for this, as for most other crops, 
a friable loam of sufficient consistence to prevent drouth 
will be found superior to any other. Swamps containing 
large quantities of vegetable matter, when sufficiently 
drained, have produced great crops, and what in neAV 
countries is termed muck land, is also favorable to their 
growth. Two things in a potato soil seem to be indis¬ 
pensable ; it must be rich, or a crop can not be expected; 
and it must be sufficiently loose to allow the shoots that 
form the tubers to spread and enlarge freely. In Eu¬ 
rope the British islands are justly famed for their root 
culture, and the introduction of the potato into Ireland 
has enabled that country to double its population; if it 
ha^ not banished want and distress, these evils are not 
of as frequent recurrence now as formerly, notwith¬ 
standing the increase of consumers. Cobbett, indeed, 
charged upon the potato all the evils of Ireland; and 
Dr. Tissot has demonstrated to his own satisfaction, that 
no potato eating nation has ever produced a great man. 
The greatest crops of potatoes on record are those 
grown by General Barnum of Vermont, which reached 
from 1,500 to 1,800 bushels per acre ; and he gives it as 
his opinion, that in a good soil, and with his mode of 
culture, from 800 to 1000 bushels per acre may be safely 
calculated upon. The reports of the agricultural socie¬ 
ties of our country show that from 500 to 700 bushels 
per acre are not uncommon. Mr. Bache, of Wellsbo- 
borough, Pa. in 1839, raised 600 bushels to the acre, and 
the crop of Mr. Morris, of Cattaraugus, in this State, 
fell but little short. The average crop in the country 
can not we think be estimated at more than from 175 to 
250 bushels, the influence of the seasons being more 
felt on this crop than many others. 
The methods of planting are various. Gen. Barnum’s 
mode, after a careful and thorough preparation of his 
land is to plant in drills 22 inches appart, and the setts 
in the drills 10 inches from each other. The drills are 
kept clean, but the earth is hilled around the plants only 
once in the season; as he considers there is much dan¬ 
ger of disturbing the young tubers by removing the 
earth, or causing the formation of new shoots for tubers 
by repeated hoeings or hillings. The secret of his 
great crops appears to consist, in his bringing rich fresh 
earths, the scraping of the ditches or streets, or earth 
from the barn-yard, or the mould deposited in swamps, 
and giving each hill a shovel full, as a top dressing. 
He does this with the aid of a horse and cart, the horse 
and the wheels passing between the rows. 
We have seen very good potatoes grown by simply- 
dropping the seed on a clean turf, and spreading over 
them a covering of straw six or eight inches in thick¬ 
ness. The straw must be evenly placed, and if moved 
by the wind before it gets settled together, which it will 
soon do, it must be carefully replaced. This covering 
of straw keeps the surface moist, the grass can not 
spring up through it, and in the fall the potatoes are 
found on the surface of the turf, and perfectly clean 
when the straw is removed. The danger in this mode 
of planting would seem to lie in a dry season which is 
frequently fatal to the crop ; and a heavy crop is rarely 
in this way produced. 
In the Monthly Visitor, for February, 1840, is an ac¬ 
count of an experiment with potatoes, which was emi¬ 
nently successful, and deserving of notice. In the spring 
of 1839, Mr. Whitney of Craftsbury, Vt. “broke up a 
piece of green sward, harrowed it thoroughly, carted 
upon it manure from the yard at the rate of 32 loads to 
the acre, cross plowed it, harrowed it again, and 
planted it in the usual manner in hills. At the pro¬ 
per plowing between the rows, the piece was well 
hoed, and at the proper time was repeated. In the 
fall he dug from this piece at the rate of 300 bushels to 
the acre, which for this year, on account of the rust, 
was considered a good yield. By the side of this piece, 
on precisely the same quality of soil, manure was carted 
and spread at the rate of 32 loads to the acre; the 
sward was then carefully turned over, and the furrows 
laid fiat with a roller. Between every other furrow, 
where they came together, (that is between the first 
and second, and between the third and fourth and so 
on) boles two feet apart, were made with a sharpened 
stick, about three inches deep, large enough to receive 
the seed. Into each hole one piece of potato was put, 
and the holes filled up with mellow soil, even with the 
general surface of the field. There was no further la¬ 
bor bestowed upon the crop till the digging, when the 
quantity produced was a little over 400 bushels per acre 
Although never hoed not a weed was seen in it. Be¬ 
fore digging, the field had the appearance of having- 
been well hoed, the potatoes having raised upt he ground 
above them.” 
The Rohan Potato is an instance of the fortunate pro¬ 
duction of a new and valuable variety from seeds. This 
root which, wherever it has been tried in our country, 
seems to have satisfied all reasonable expectations that 
had been formed, is destined doubtless to add much to the 
vulue of the potato crop: and no good reason can be 
given why other; and still more productive kinds may 
not be produced by the same methods. A comparison 
of a crop of Bohans with one of the original wild pota¬ 
to, would seem to justify expectations of still further 
improvement, from the combined agencies of cultivation 
and reproduction from the true seeds. 
In all cases the value of early potatoes is great; and 
particularly so in the vicinity of cities, where a constant 
demand, and ready market for such vegetables, always 
exists. Experience has taught the growers of potatoes 
for the London market that ripe potatoes can be found 
from ten to fourteen days earlier in hills or drills plant¬ 
ed with setts from the top end (the one that has the 
most eyes) than in those planted from the root end of 
the tuber. The Lancashire gardners therefore assort 
their setts, so as to have them ripen at the same time, 
and thus obtain roots for market sooner than they other¬ 
wise could do. It is probable that quite an improve¬ 
ment might in this country be effected in the same way. 
Grafting—Apples. 
The best and most certain methods of propagating 
any desirable kind of fruit is by grafting, or by ino¬ 
culation. The first is performed in the spring, the 
last in summer or autumn, or when the bark of the tree 
will leave the wood freely. Grafts, or scions, must be 
cut as early as February, when they are to be kept any 
time, or removed any distance ; but if they are to be 
inserted at once, they may be cut when wanted for set¬ 
ting, unless the vegetation is too far advanced to render 
the operation proper. 
Next to thescoins, the wax for excluding the air and 
completing the union of the parts is to be attended to. 
Several modes of preparing this composition have been 
published, but a very good wax may be made of two 
parts rosin, one of beeswax, and one of tallow. These 
are to be melted together, and may be made into rolls 
by turning the melted mass into water, and working it 
as shoemaker’s wax is prepared; or it may be laid on 
hot with a brush, as soon as the scion is put in its place. 
For nursery grafting, or on small branches it will be 
found most convenient to have the wax spread on strips 
of cotton cloth, which can be applied with great fa¬ 
cility. 
The operation of grafting is founded on obvious prin¬ 
ciples, and is so simple in itself, that it may be per¬ 
formed by any one. AYhen a tree is cut down in the 
spring, if it is young and vigorous, a series of granula¬ 
tions or prominences will be seen in a few days or 
weeks forming themselves around the stump at the junc¬ 
tion of the bark and the wood. When a tree is partly cut 
down, but the circulation is not wholly interrupted, simi¬ 
lar granulations will form on the upper part, and if 
these meet, a union of parts will take place. On the 
stump of the young trees of the elm or beech, these 
granulations frequently push up into sprouts, and we 
have seen the top of a stump circled with a row of such. 
Grafting is only performing by art, what in such cases 
is done by nature ; or in other words it consists in pla¬ 
cing the divided parts of the stem and scion, in such a 
position that the granulations as they form may unite 
without difficulty. This is most generally done by split¬ 
ting the stock with a sharp knife, giving a wedge like 
form to the lower end of the scion, and carefully insert¬ 
ing this in the cleft, in such a way that the bark of the 
stock and scion shall come in contact. Wax is then ap¬ 
plied to exclude the air, and secure the scion in its 
place till the union takes effect. 
Where an orchard is to be planted anew, the better 
way is, at the present time, to apply to some nursery¬ 
man, and make a selection of such fruits as are the best 
adapted to the purposes for which the orchard is design¬ 
ed ; but in far the greater number of cases the orchards 
of the farmer have been planted from nurseries of un¬ 
grafted trees and of the natural or inferior fruit, and in 
such instances the only way to change the products 
from poor to good is to graft. Those most experienced 
in grafting consider the best time for the insertion of 
scions to be when the buds have swollen and are just 
beginning to open ; a little earlier or a little later will 
do, but if so early as to freeze the exuding sap it will 
be fatal; and if too late, the bark is apt to start from 
the stock, and the union, if effected at all, must be de¬ 
layed and imperfect. 
Great care in selecting or grafting fruit trees should be 
used, not only that the varieties be of the most valua¬ 
ble kinds, but that they should succeed each other, so as 
to keep a supply for the longest possible period. Thus 
a little attention to this point will give a supply of ap¬ 
ples the year round, peaches for several weeks or months, 
and cherries and plums for a long time. It must always 
be remembered that a good tree occupies no more space 
than a poor one, while the difference in profit is very 
great. The rich Bough, Swaar or Pippin, requires no 
more room or care than the most inferior varieties; and 
though many of our farmers are so negligent as to be 
content with the last, we have never seen one that 
would not gladly accept of the better kinds of fruit, 
when placed within his reach. 
The best kind of apples for the table are rarely first 
rate for cider; and where an orchard is intended for the 
production of that article, particular reference must be 
had to it in the selection of trees. The easiest way of 
determining the relative value of apples for cider is to 
observe the depth to which they sink when placed in 
water. It is well known that the more saccharine mat¬ 
ter the juice of an apple contains, the heavier it will be, 
and the richer the liquor produced from it; of course the 
sinking of an apple in the water serves to indicate its 
value, or its weight. Testing the liquor from apples, 
by the hydrometer, is the most accurate mode of deter¬ 
mining the worth of the fruit for cider, and the results 
thus obtained are found to agree with experience. The 
Harrison, Winesap, Hagloe crab, and similar apples are 
proved to be the best for cider. The Downton Pippin, 
an apple produced by Mr. Knight, from an artificial im¬ 
pregnation, is highly esteemed in England, and has been 
well spoken of by those who have tried the variety for 
cider in this country. 
When the feeding of apples to animals first began to 
be practiced to any extent, it was supposed that sweet 
apples were far the most valuable; but more experience 
seems to show that their worth is more depending on 
their ripeness or the development of their saccharine 
properties, than on any thing denoted by mere sweet¬ 
ness or sourness. If animals are allowed to feed on 
them before they are ripe, sweet apples are the best, as 
the acid of an unripe apple injuriously affects the teeth, 
making them sore, which a sweet apple will not do. By 
a strange oversight in rural economy, many farmers du¬ 
ring the earlier progress of the temperance movement, 
not aware that apples were of so great value for ani¬ 
mals, making pork, &c. were guilty of the folly of 
cutting doAvn their orchards, an act which most of them 
have since had leisure to abundantly regret; and which 
will not probably be soon repeated, as experience shows 
that few parts of a farm yield a better revenue than the 
orchard. 
We add a few of the most approved varieties of ap¬ 
ples, such as will furnish in the smallest space, the suc¬ 
cession of good fruit, the greater part or the whole of 
the year, so desirable to every farmer. 
The Juncatings are the earliest of our apples ripening 
in June. There are two kinds, one of a yellow color 
and the -other red striped. They are small round fruits, 
of a pleasant flavor. 
Prince’s Yellow Harvest, and the Sinequanon are ex¬ 
cellent apples, ripe in July. The first is a pale yellow, 
sub-acid, and of fine flaAmr. The last of a greener 
color, and very highly flavored. Both are of a medium 
size. 
The Sweet Bough, and Toole’s Indian .Apple, are our 
best August apples. There are tAvo kinds of the first, 
one Avhite, ovate, and the other oblong and red striped 
This last is sometimes called the red and green sweet¬ 
ing. They are both very superior apples and should 
have a place in every orchard. Toole’s apple originated 
in Wayne county, and is a beautiful apple for the table 
or for cooking. 
Of what are termed fall apples there are many varie¬ 
ties, all good, and the preference must be determined by 
the taste of the individual, or the use toAvhich the fruit 
is to be put. The Golden Pippin and the Fall Pippin, 
both ripen in September and are fine fruits. 
Of the Avinter apples, those that ripen from October 
to December, and keep until June,Ave have the Spitzen- 
bergs three varieties, the NeAvtown, Esopus, and Flush¬ 
ing ; Seek-no-further, two varieties, red and green, and 
dark red or black. Several kinds of Pippins, excellent 
apples, and some of them keeping till June; the Green 
