Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1875 — Potato Planting. [ARTICLE]

Potato Planting.

As planting time approaches the question again recurs whether large or small, whole or cut potatoes should "be used for seed. The old-fashioned practice was to drop a medium or large-sized whole potato in each hill. This, however, was in times when few were grown for market and the business whs not managed so closely as it is at present. Then also it was considered very important that none but the largest potatoes should be used for seed. This is still urged by many, bdt I think without sufficient reason. It is certain that the largest potato-growers now plant cut seed and use much smaller quantities than formerly. They learned to diride seed by growing Early Bose and other high-priced varieties when seed was scarce, and finding they got large crops with little seed they hare continued the practice. It is sjso an important saving in planting fifteen to twenty acres to use small potatoes rather than large

for seed. A* good a crop of Early Rose as I have known in field culture—fully 200 bushels per acre—was grown by planting two to three eves in a place in hills three feet apart. The ground w-aa rich, and every eye made a vigorous growth; the vines very nearly covering the ground. Peerless planted in the same way yielded 300 bushels per acre and the vines completely covered the ground; I did not test the policy of planting whole potatoes; but the crop need not have been any better than it was. The only disadvantage in cutting seed potatoes is in dry seasons, where the eyes are cut out with very little potato attached, the eye may dry up instead of growing. The remedy for’tliis is to press each piece firmly in the ground with the foot as it is dropped. Then cover about four inches with loose earth and every piece will grow. If wet, cold weather fo.lows 'planting, freshly-cut potatoes may rot in the ground. To prevent this, cut the seed a week before planting and roll in plaster (gypsum) to keep from drying too much. The plaster will adhere to flic moist surfaces, which will harden slightly, and the gypsum in contact with the potato will benefit the growth of the crop more than if used in any other way. Cut potatoes are often burned or scorched in the sun if dropped too long before being covered. Three or four hours’ exposure in a cloudless May or June day is sufficient to destroy the crop. Probably the sun and wind evaporate so muclj moisture from the cut potato that not enough is left to furnish moisture to start the eyes. This is a matter of some importance where potatoes are planted in large quantities and covered by horsepower. Some farmers in my neighbor hood have lost one to three acres by leaving potatoes uncovered too long, and their experience may be valuable to others.— Country Gentleman.