162 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Fair, and learned that they were grown from the seed we had given 

 to the grower, and not the least remarkable fact was that this was 

 the largest and handsomest crop of potatoes the grower had ever 

 raised. Whether the lesson proved sufRciently impressive to ensure 

 a repetition of the experiment we have not learned, probably not, 

 for it would require the preparation of the seed a year in advance, 

 aud we are all, or most of us, too busy with the affairs of to-day to 

 look very far into the future. 



Last summer, when digging our early potatoes, we found in one 

 bill the old potato still sound, and with a tiny sprout just starting to 

 grow. As a matter of curiosit}' we carefully planted this old potato, 

 which had borne one good crop, in good soil, and by a little water- 

 ing and mulching got it well started into growth, though the weather 

 at the time was excessivel}' dry. The beetles were fought and late 

 in the autumn we had the satisfaction of digging a second crop of 

 potatoes, (there was but one tuber,) from the same seed. Last 

 April this potato was cut in three pieces, and the pieces planted a 

 foot apart in the drill near other potatoes of the same variety. The 

 product was remarkable, yielding at the rate of over three hundred 

 bushels per acre of very handsome potatoes, and decidedly better 

 than any other hills in the garden of the same variet}'. From these 

 two experiments we are led to believe that farmers here in Massa- 

 chusetts may 3'et find it practicable to plant potatoes late in June or 

 earh" in Jul}' every year for producing seed for the next year's plant- 

 ing. The experiments also suggest the inquiry whether Mr. Hersey's 

 larger yields from small seed during six 3'ears trial ma}' not be due, 

 in part at least, to the fact that his small seed was less ripe than the 

 larger seed. In Aroostook Count}* we understand the potatoes are 

 generally dug before the vines are dead, the season being only just 

 about long enough to grow the crop to a good table condition. The 

 winters being longer there, the potatoes are doubtless planted before 

 they have had time to waste their vitality by growing long sprouts 

 in the cellar. The advent of the early Rose has shortened the period 

 of growth of the potato crop of the country, which saves us several 

 weeks of beetle fighting, but it calls for more care and skill in keep- 

 ing our early ripened crop over in sound, vigorous condition for 

 planting the following year. 



