280 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



HAMPSHIRE. 



Statement of Geors;c Dickinson. 



Potatoes. — The ground, wliicli I planted with Carter pota- 

 toes the past season, contains 86 rows, and is valued on the 

 assessors' books at 8195 per acre, first quality meadow land. It 

 was stocked down with Timothy and clover in 1851, and mown 

 four years, twice each season, without any manure. In the first 

 week of December, 1855, it was ploughed from eigiit to ten 

 inches deep, the sod having been flatly inverted. During the 

 last of April, 185G, six loads of manure from the hog yard were 

 spread on and cultivated in. The ground was then thoroughly 

 harrowed, and the holes dug, two by two and a half to three 

 feet apart. A mixture of hen manure and plaster was then 

 applied, at the rate of a small handful in each hill. I used 3^ 

 lbs. of seed ; cut the largest potatoes twice, and the smaller ones 

 once, and dropped one piece in each hill. They were hoed 

 early in April, soon after they came up, and three times afterwards, 

 the cultivator being used each time, and moderately hilled. 

 Thcv were dug about the middle of October. 



Value of crop : — 

 95.1 bushels table potatoes, at 87-|- cts., . . 883 56 

 131 bushels small " 25^cts., . . 3 31 



$86 87 



Expenses : — 



Ploughing, 81.25; manure, 811.25 ; cultivating, 



81 ; harrowing, 50 cts. ; seed, 82.25, . . 816 25 



Planting, 81-25; hoeing, 83.50; digging, 86.25 ; 



interest, 86 ; taxes, 81, . . . . 18 00 



834 25 



Net profit, .... 852 62 



IIadlky, November 15, 1S5G. 



