440 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



potatoes. I think we cairnot afford it when potatoes are a dollar 

 a bushel. I have practised for a great many years cutting my 

 potatoes, and I prefer a potato larger than a hen's egg. I would 

 rather have a large potato cut into four pieces than one the size 

 of a hen's egg cut in two. 



But I wish to say a word in regard to the argument of the gen- 

 tleman who spoke in reference to planting the flesh side of the 

 potato down. That is contrary to my rule entirely. I always 

 place the cut side up, and my reason is, that thirty years ago I 

 planted a piece of potatoes, dropping them one side up or the 

 other, as it happened. A severe rain storm came on the day after 

 planting, and a portion of the ground was so wet that the water 

 literally stood on it for several days. The consequence was, much 

 of the seed rotted. When the water subsided, I dug into the 

 hills, and found that in about every instance where the cut side 

 laid down the seed was rotten, but where the cut side laid up it 

 lived through the wet weather, and commenced growing. As to 

 the objection that the sprout has to crook round to get up, I don't 

 think that takes much time, and the fine roots that start with the 

 sprout have a better chance to get hold of the fertilizer or the 

 fertilizing qualities in the soil, if they are at the bottom. But my 

 main object is to prevent the seed from rotting in case of a heavy 

 rain storm. 



Mr. Marcellus Emery, of Bangor. In common with the audience 

 generally, I have been deeply interested in the lecture by the gen- 

 tleman from Androscoggin [Mr. Gilbert], and this because from 

 my boyhood I have been more or less among potato vines. My 

 experience in the cultivation of the potato has been very mucli that 

 of Mr. Hamlin, and if the audience will indulge me, I will give the 

 result of my observation in regard to the amount of seed. 



A few years ago I visited the cellar of one of the most success- 

 ful potato growers of this count}^, and lie told me that the year 

 before he had commenced planting small seed, and the result was 

 a good crop of large potatoes. Acting upon that hint, the next 

 spring I took up half an acre of greensward, and planted it Avith 

 small potatoes. The result was, a good crop of large potatoes. 

 The next year I selected the smallest of the potatoes grown on this 

 half acre for seed, and planted about an acre and a half. The 

 result was a failure. Thinking of the subject, I came to the con- 

 clusion that farmers generally had been over-seeding, and my 

 friend here in Penobscot had partly remedied the evil by planting 

 small potatoes. He would have remedied it completely had he 



