122 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



of rye. Of Indian corn, we raised, that year, 2,059,000 bush- 

 els; of oats, 1,522,000 bushels; of barley, 20,000 bushels; 

 of buckwheat, 309,000 bushels. Doubtless, since 1860, the 

 production of rye and Indian corn in the state has consider- 

 ably fallen off. I think there are many sections where other 

 crops have taken their place. 



The discussion this evening was designed to embrace oats, 

 barley, and buckwheat. Tiie range embraces the preparation 

 of the soil, the different varieties, their culture, their market 

 value, and their relative value, as compared with each other, 

 and as compared with other farm crops. Very many impor- 

 tant points in the previous parts of the programme have not 

 been discussed ; especially, the relative value of crops ; and I 

 hope that gentlemen will be free to speak upon this point, and 

 that we may have some facts to present to the farmers of our 

 state in regard to the profit of the culture of these different 

 crops. 



No gentleman seeming disposed to speak upon the subject 

 announced, some little time was spent upon the question of 

 the preparation of manures and their application, after which, 

 the potato question was again taken up. 



POTATOES. 



Mr. Gould. I will mention a little experiment that I once 

 tried with potatoes, with a view to ascertain if any gentlemen 

 present have had corresponding experience. I had a piece 

 of land where the soil was three or four inches deep, on a 

 slate rock, covered with weeds and thistles, of a very unsightly 

 character. To banish these, I put in potatoes, the hills about 

 two and a half feet apart, over some ten or fifteen square rods, 

 covering the ground, to the thickness of about two feet, with 

 straw. I got from that piece, without doing anything else 

 whatever, at the rate of 140 bushels to the acre. They were 

 not, certainly, the best potatoes that I ever saw, but they were 

 fair, sizeable, eatable potatoes. The only cost was putting on 

 the thickness of two feet of straw, and the next year, the grass 

 came in beautifully, and the weeds were all exterminated. 



