160 



fermenting, and the disease quickly spread through the hill. When it 

 came in contact with the new tubers, I washed some, and by holding 

 them between me and the sun, could see from day to day how far fer- 

 mentation had gone in the roots. I now became convinced that this 

 evil is the result of a transgression of a natural law, viz : The earth is 

 the only natural place to keep the seed root. While this evil happen- 

 ed to the potatoes obtained of my neighbor, those taken from the seed 

 patch grew finely, and gj:ve a bountiful yield of sound potatoes. I 

 now determined to try fall planting. I furrowed out one acre, and 

 dropped a potatoe every eight inches in the furrow as near as I 

 could ; covered them with two furrows in the form of a ridge. 



CULTURE FOR 1852. 



March the fii-st, I found that nearly all the potatoes I planted in the 

 fall, were frozen as hard as frost could freeze them, therefore in April, I 

 was obliged to hunt for those that were not frozen, and plant them over 

 again. This spring I purchased potatoes of six different individuals 

 skilled in raising potatoes, and of nearly all varieties in common use in 

 this part. I commenced planting the last of April — planting some 

 nearly every day until the first of June. I planted four acres this year 

 in patches, in different localities, on different soils, and in different ways. 

 In order to ascertain the best method, I planted some of my potatoes, 

 taken from my seed patch, in every patch but one, as a test, and shall 

 hereafter call them "Terra Cultured potatoes ;" those kept in cellars No. 2, 

 and those buried No. 1 . My potatoes were cultivated twice by the 4th 

 of July. The season being dry and cool, the disease has been far less 

 malignant, than in former years. Frequent examinations diu-ing the 

 season, showed that No. 2 was more diseased than No. 1 ; that the early 

 planted were less diseased than the late planting ; that deep planting is 

 preferable to shallow. This proves to me that the disease is not in the 

 air. 



The yield of No. 1 and 2, this year, is not half the yield of my Ter- 

 ra Cultured potatoes. The tops of the latter kept green until they were 

 killed by frequent frosts, while No. 1 and 2 were killed more easily. 

 When dug, their seed roots were seldom found sound, while those of 

 the Terra Cultured had the seed root almost in every case sound, and in. 

 appearance . as in spring, having lost only in color and weight. 



