ANNUAL MEETING. 191 



increasing. They yield best in the extreme Northern States and in Canada. 

 The entire yield of the United States is probably in the neighborhood of one 

 bundled and seventy-five millions of bushels. Tlie yield in this State for 1880 

 was 8,385,787 bushels, atid for the present year the crop is estimated at one- 

 fourth larger, making upwards of ten millions of bushels. No better pota- 

 toes are grown than those of Michigan. Tiiose especially of the northern 

 part of the State and of the Upper Peninsula can not be excelled for quality. 

 The fine harbors of that part of the State and the ready water communica- 

 tion with Chicago, Detroit, and other lake ports, give a ready outlet to the 

 crop to good and permanent markets. The experience of the farmers of 

 Michigan for the past ten years has proved that it pays to raise potatoes, and 

 it may be worth our while to follow the subject of cultivation and varieties 

 for a few minutes. First, what variety shall we select? A large number that 

 are excellent are in use, among the most prominent of which are the early 

 and late Rose. One of the most successful potato growers 1 know has used the 

 early Rose for the past seven years. He plants about the first of June, and 

 thus escapes the first crop of beetles. He uses small potatoes for seed, plants 

 them in rows three feet apart each way, a single potato in each hill. Ho 

 works thoroughly at first with double shovel cultivator, and finally with wing 

 shovel plow until they are fully in blossom, after which he does not touch 

 them until time to dig. Instead of deteriorating, as one would naturally infer 

 from the use of small potatoes for seed, they have improved both in yield and 

 quality. 



For myself, I prefer the late rose, planted the same distance apart as above. 

 It is a strong grower, enabling it to withstand the attacks of insects, and it 

 outyields the early Rose. It brings as high a price in market, although inferior 

 to the early Rose in quality. I plant medium sized potatoes cut in two or three 

 pieces, one piece in each hill. After the ground is marked both ways I cut 

 the places for the potatoes as deep as possible with the hoe, drop and cover 

 about four or five inches deep. Both varieties of the Rose potatoes have the 

 good habit of crowding their tubers close together in the hill and above the 

 seed potato. The double shovel cultivator and the wing shovel plow throws 

 sufficient earth around the vines to keep the tubers nicely covered as they 

 grow. The surface is also kept constantly mellow and open — a most essential 

 condition for the successful growth of potatoes. A good, rich, sandy soil is 

 also essential for the best success. An old sod plowed in autumn, especially a 

 clover sod, is considered a good preparation for the crop. Well rotted stable 

 manure may be used successfully as a fertilizer, but unfermented manure 

 never. The potatoes are almost certain to grow scabby and watery. Plaster, 

 ashes, and bone fertilizers containing potash are most valuable, in. dry sea- 

 eons planting shallow and covering the entire surface with straw four or six 

 inches thick has proved very successsul, but this is too much work both in 

 planting and digging to be profitable for large field culture. The effects of 

 drouth may be better overcome by constant and thorough cultivation, making 

 a mulch of soft, porous earth over the surface. 



There are many devices in use for digging. An implement something like 

 a shovel plow, with prongs running backward from the blade, which sifts the 

 earth from the potatoes, and is drawn by one horse, works well and is cheap. 

 There are other and more ponderous horse machines that are said to work 

 well when the ground is tree from stones and stumps. B'or common use I 

 prefer a fork made on purpose, with six or eight tines a little longer and a 

 little more curved than those of a common manure fork. A common six- 



