24 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



To learn this, it is best to visit some grower, and see the 

 actual operations performed, as some of them would be diffi- 

 cult to describe here. 



The CHAiRMAJsr. The subject is now open for discussion. 



Mr. Slade. Do you plant whole potatoes, or do you cut 

 them ? You did not tell us about that. 



Capt. MoOEE. I usually cut mine. I have never experi- 

 mented enough to know whether a whole potato or a piece 

 of a potato, one end of a potato or the other end of a potato, 

 is the best. I do not undertake to tell you any thing I don't 

 believe I am correct in ; and I will not undertake to express 

 an opinion upon that, because I don't think I could give an 

 opinion that would be worth more than the opinion of any 

 other farmer here. 



Mr. Whitaker (of Needham). Where you have sev- 

 eral sprouts on a potato, will not one or two of those sprouts 

 be very likely, on level lands, to take the lead, and the others 

 die out? 



Capt. Moore. I think that is so. And I will state 

 another thing, because I have noticed it a great many times. 

 You can go into a field ; and, where you find one or two stalks 

 very large and vigorous, there is where you will get the 

 biggest and smoothest potatoes always, if you want to carry 

 them to a cattle-show. 



Mr. Whitaker. Do you not suppose, that, as a general 

 thing, fiat culture is the best, not only for roots, but for other 

 products ? 



Capt. Moore. I have just stated, that, on wet soil, I think 

 it would not be. 



Mr. Whitaker. But on the generality of soil ? 



Capt. Moore. I think mangel-wurzel will grow a great 

 deal larger on ridges. 



Mr. Whitaker. The largest mangel-wurzels that I ever 

 raised were planted flat on a gravelly knoll. 



Capt. Moore. That was because of the condition of your 

 land. If it was a gravelly knoll, you must plant them flat, 

 or the plants would all dry up. I usually select rather 

 moist, wet soil for mangels, where I have grown more thau 

 sixty-five tons to the acre. 



Mr. Whitaker. I have seen cultivators of mangels and 



