No. 105.] 319 



shels is a small yield, and one with which no enterprising farmer should 

 be satisfied. One thousand and even 1200 bushels have been taken 

 from an acre, and what has been done can be done again. 



CALEB N. BEMENT, 



Chairman. 



POTATOES. 



STREET BUTTON. 



Sir — In presenting my potato crop for the premiums, I would state 

 that the piece selected was the corner of an old pasture field which had 

 lain in pasture for ten or fifteen years — so far from the barn that ma- 

 nure was not used, so that the plea that manure is the cause why the 

 potato is affected by the rot does not apply in this instance. The 

 piece selected was estimated to be about four acres. Soon as the frost 

 was out of the ground sufficiently, the ground was turned over with 

 the plow. It lay in that situation until about the 18th of May, when 

 it received a thorough dragging with an iron tooth drag, and then 

 cross-plowed, then dragged down smooth for planting. The piece, 

 when planted, counted 156 rows — 108 rows planted with what is 

 called the orange with a mixture of the flesh-colored potato — 48 were 

 planted with what is called in this section the Dutton potato, a sample 

 of which you will receive, and is presented as the best in the State 

 for the use of the table. 



Method of Planting. — On about one half of the piece the potato 

 was dropped on the surface in rows, about three feet apart one way, 

 with the hills on the row about from 18 to 20 inches apart. The po- 

 tato whole, as a general thing, and covered with the hoe. 



The other part of the ground was laid off in rows of about the same 

 distance apart, by a furrow with the plow. Made use of the same 

 kind of seed as before, and dropped in the furrow with the hills about 

 18 or 20 inches apart, and covered with the plow running each side of 

 the row, and turning both furrows on the potato, which had the effect 

 to cover the seed much deeper than the other part of the ground, 

 which was covered with the hoe. Consequently the piece covered 

 with the hoe came up a few days first. When the tops were from 

 three to four inches high, a sprinkling of plaster was put to each hill, 

 from one to two table spoonsful. Although the season proved dry, 

 there was a large growth of tops and a visible difference in the color 

 of the vines or tops the whole summer. That part of the field with 

 seed dropped in the furrow and covered with the plough showed a 

 much darker green than the part that was covered with the hoe. The 

 tops exhibited no symptoms of what is styled the curl, or an intimation 

 to decay, but remained healthy and green until frost. Commenced 

 digging about the 20th of September, found no symptoms of the rot, 

 and the potato a large size and fine flavor. 



