48 VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



POTATOES RAISED AT A PROFIT. 



By D. H. Morse, Randolph, Vt. 



That potatoes can be profitably raised here in Vermont upon soil 

 which is pronounced poor, worn-out, etc., there is no reasonable doubt; 

 and it was the making of some such statement as the above in the pres- 

 ence of the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture that brought a request 

 for an article relative to my experience along this line. 



April 1, 1902, about seventeen acres of land were purchased for the 

 purpose of planting an apple orchard. About eleven acres of the 

 land had for years been poorly tilled and fertilized and hence light 

 crops of any variety were the certain yield. Two of the eleven acres 

 were at the time of purchase plowed and corn was raised on same 

 that season. The remainder was in grass, which was light and con- 

 tained a big sprinkling of sorrel. The other six acres were never 

 plowed, and had generally been used for a pasture, and a first-rate 

 poor one at that. 



In the autumn of 1902 the eleven-acre field was plowed to a depth of 

 about five inches, which was some two inches deeper than previous 

 plowings, and as deep as a strong team could well plow it, the land being 

 very hard and dry. Late in October this plat was planted to apple trees, 

 set in rows thirty-three feet apart. In the following April the land was 

 re-plowed to a depth of fully seven inches, thoroughly pulverized, mak- 

 ing a fine, soft and deep seed bed. 



The land was then furrowed out into rows four feet apart, putting 

 eight rows between each two rows of apple trees, and planted to pota- 

 toes of the Green Mountain variety. Ten bushels per acre were used for 

 seed, and all treated with formalin to prevent scab. They were dropped 

 by hand about ten inches apart, one piece in a hill, and covered with 

 a small plow drawn by one horse. The work of planting was done in 

 April. The fertilizer used was Bowker's high grade potato phosphate, 

 six hundred pounds to the acre being applied. The fertilizer was applied 

 with a double row Eureka corn planter after the potatoes were planted. 

 Four days after planting the land was harrowed with a light fine corn 

 harrow. The same was repeated twice more before the potatoes came 

 up. The weather continued dry for six weeks and there were not a few 

 missing hills. 



Weekly cultivation was kept up among the potatoes until about the 

 10th of August. No hand hoeing was done upon the piece from first to 

 last. The 15th of July the potatoes were sprayed with paris green for 

 bugs, and Bordeaux mixture for blight. Formula: 50 gallons water. 6 

 lbs. lime slacked in water, 4 lbs. blue vitriol dissolved and 1 lb of paris 



