428 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



toes are more liable to rot, but it is better to lose some by the rot 

 and have a reasonable quantity of good ones left, than it is to 

 realize only a small crop of inferior potatoes. On such lands if 

 the seed is dropped directly into the soil, it finds a cold, lifeless 

 bed, and consequently is a long time stai'ting, and grows feebly 

 and slowly all summer. The harvest is a small crop of small pota- 

 toes. If manured in the hill, the compost holds the seed above 

 the cold clammy soil, and forms a warm mellow bed, wherein it 

 starts into a vigorous, healthy growth, and maintains it throughout 

 the season. But barn manure is not in all cases necessary, nor is 

 it always desirable in the cultivation of the potato. Wood ashes 

 or some of the commercial fertilizers in the market may be used 

 with good results. In many cases the most profitable crops may be 

 grown without the application of barn manure, by the use of some 

 one or other of these fertilizers, with the addition perhaps of a 

 little plaster. Ashes are the cheapest application in proportion to 

 the benefit derived. Perhaps, however, an exception to that state- 

 ment should be made, for on some soils an application of plaster 

 at a very trifling cost produces very marked results. If I were to 

 select a piece of land with a view to growing the most profitable 

 crop of potatoes, taking into consideration the cost of cultivation, 

 expense of fertilizers used, and quality of product, I would select 

 a moderately dry, loamy piece of land, which had been in pasture 

 for a considerable number of years, prepare it in the best manner, 

 and apply liberal quantities of wood ashes mixed with plaster, and 

 no other fertilizer. The crop would not probably be large, neither 

 would the debit side of the account be large ; hence when the 

 account was closed, the balance would show a good profit. 



4. Planting. 



In order to act intelligently in the selection and preparation of 

 the seed for planting, it will be well to consider a few facts which, 

 though not conceded by all, are sufficiently well established to be 

 set down as flicts. If the seed end of a potato be planted, the 

 result is a good yield of small potatoes. If the butt be planted, 

 the result is a smaller yield of nearly all large potatoes. If very 

 small potatoes are used for seed, a small yield of small potatoes 

 is the result. If large potatoes are used in liberal quantity, the 

 result will be a large yield of good potatoes. I am aware the 

 statements here made and set down as facts will be stoutly denied 

 by some who are listening to me. They are, nevertheless, well 

 established, and deviations from them are exceptions which can 



