270 ILLINOIS STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



THE CULTURE OF THE POTATO 



Being the subject for this meeting, Mr. Beecher was called upon for his 

 experience. 



He said he had obtained the best results by plowing in the fall, and, 

 as soon as the ground is in good condition in the spring, harrowing it 

 well and laying off with a shovel-plow, and covering with the same — one 

 furrow each side of the row — and rolling it down. As soon as the plants 

 begin to make their appearance, he goes over them with a fine harrow, 

 which kills all the small weeds ; then works with a common corn-plow, 

 and would work them quite often, especially if the weather was dry and 

 the bugs troublesome, as the frequent working keeps the ground moist 

 and knocks many of the young bugs off, and they are destroyed by Uie 

 heat of the ground. 



He does not practice the hilling-up process, but leaves them with 

 the slight ridge thrown up by the plow, and thinks he gets better results 

 than when hilled up by the hoe. If he had well-rotted manure, he would 

 apply it in the fall before plowing, but would not use fresh manure if he 

 could avoid it. He would prefer not to manure in the spring ; but, if 

 he did so, would apply it on the surface. 



Being asked what varieties he considered best for cultivation, he said 

 that for an early potato the Early Vermont was the best of any thing he 

 had tried. It is very early, much better and more productive than Early 

 Rose, which, by the way, is saying a good deal for it ; but, as he raises 

 them both, he ought to know. For a later potato the Compton's Surprise 

 stands at the head of the list, as it is better in quality and nearly twice as 

 productive as the Peachblow. 



Excelsior is another potato of fine appearance ; also the Peerless, 

 which is one of the most productive and of very good quality — much 

 better than when it was first introduced. 



Of all the above and several other varieties, Mr. Beecher presented 

 samples at the meeting. 



In answer to a question by one of the members as to cutting potatoes 

 for seed, he said if he had plenty of potatoes he would use the best for 

 seed ; but, if he was short of such, he would use such as he had, even 

 quite small ones, but would not like to do that several years in succession. 

 If seed was scarce, he would cut them in pieces of one eye each, and, if 

 the price was very high — say one dollar per bushel — would even cut the 



