118 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



EXPEKIMENTS IX POTATO CULTURE. 

 By Edmund Hersey, lllnj^hum, Mass. 



Rciid at Hampden Institute. 



Familiar as we are with the potato, it is comparatively a new arti- 

 cle of food. It was unknown in the old world until after the new 

 was discovered by Columbus, and for a hundred years after tlie Pil- 

 grims landed on Plymouth Rock the New England fartner planted 

 bis garden without the potato. It is said to have been tirst brought 

 to New England by a party of protestant Irish, who settled in Lon- 

 donderry, New Hampshire, in the year 1719, but its cultivation did 

 not become general until many 3'ears after. The name Irish potato 

 was no doubt derived from the fact that it was introduced by the 

 Irish people. 



In the year 1762, the scarcity of Indian corn in New England led 

 to the enquiry whether some foreign vegetable could not be found 

 that might be introduced, to in a measure take the place of corn 

 bread. The subject was fully discussed, and resulted in the intro- 

 duction of the potato. It gave such satisfaction that it soon found 

 its way into many gardens, though it was grown only in small quan- 

 tities for many years. I well remember that, when a small boy, neither 

 of my grandfathers grew the potato to any great extent. Only a 

 few bushels were grown each year. The turnip, parsnip and carrot 

 were considered of quite as much, if not more consequence than the 

 potato. But to-day the potato is considered by all classes to be an 

 indispensable article of food, and it would be considered a great 

 hardship to be obliged to do without it, for nothing has A^et been dis- 

 covered to take its place. 



During the last fifty years the cultivation of the potato has become 

 so general and extensive, and we have become so familiar with its 

 qualities, and the various methods of culture, that most farmers have 

 drawn very positive conclusions as to the best methods of seeding, 

 planting and culture. If these conclusions had all been alike there 

 would seem to be no necessity of spending any more time in investi- 

 gation or argument ; but as there are scarcely any two which agree on 

 all points, it is evident that nearly the whole field of investigation 

 and discover^' is before us. We have failed in our investigations 

 because of the want of well-matured plans to settle, by comparison, 

 disputed points, and because of drawing conclusions from results 

 obtained from crops grown in some particular manner, but not so as 

 to compare with those grown in any other manner. 



