6 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



have found that the closer planting produced the greater yield, 

 though there were exceptions to this general result. 



After having' carefully examined and compared the returns of the 

 several experiments, your Committee find that, although the close 

 planting produced the greatest amount, yet the result indicated to 

 us that the increased yield did not compensate for the extra seed 

 and increased amount of labor required in cultivation. 



The conclusion arrived at by your Committee is, that the returns 

 indicate that two feet by three, produces a better result of crop, all 

 things considered, than a greater or less distance ; yet this should 

 be varied somewhat, by the variety of potato intended to be grown, 



A few of the experiments, although they may not coincide ex- 

 actly with the conclusions arrived at by your Committee, were 

 nevertheless so carefully conducted, and so faithfully and clearly 

 reported, that we deem them worthy of being returned to this 

 Board iu connection with this report. We would call attention 

 particularly to those conducted by Calvin Chamberlain of Foxcroft, 

 and William D. Dana of North Perry. 



Experiment by G. Chamberlain, Foxcroft. 



The variety of potato planted, is known as the Orono or Reed. 

 The planting was on May 9th. The land was in tough sod, and 

 plowed in October, 1861. It had been mowed ten years, and in 

 that time had received one slight top-dressing of phosphate of lime, 

 and one of ashes. It had become much exhausted. The soil is a 

 slate loam, dry and stony. The spring culture was simply har- 

 rowing. The rows were marked by drawing a chain. One peck 

 of fish guano was scattered evenly in each row; the seed, one 

 piece in each hill, was dropped on the surface and slightly covered. 

 No rain fell after the planting, till June 18th. On account of the 

 drought the hoeing and hilling was done soon after the most ad- 

 vanced tops appeared. The dressing was calculated at the rate of 

 twenty-seven and a half bushels per acre, at a cost of $19.25. We 

 state thus particularly for the purpose of showing the result of the 

 application of a fertilizer not much known, except immediately on 

 the coast. The potatoes produced in this experiment are of excel- 

 lent quality — good and sound at this date (January.) Those 

 marked refune in the table, were the small ones, together with an 

 occasional one of the largest size having discolored spots, showing 

 disease. Less than eight per cent, of result is in this column. 



