50 



STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



In the experimental garden the lots are all labeled as planted ; a plat of the 

 whole garden is drawed off in a book. The labels and book are both consulted 

 at the end of the season, when tlie crops are harvested, measured, or weighed. 



The soil is light sand, with leecliy bottom, naturally poor, but made very- 

 fair in quality by manuring for about ten years with crops every year. 

 Superpliosijliate, purchased of Jarvis & Hooker, at Detroit, was put on alter- 

 nate sections of ten hills each, with the following results : The dressing con- 

 sisted in putting a tablespoonf ul in each hill (two feet apart) — rows about three 

 feet apart ; and then forking the soil and superphosphate thoroughly together, 

 just before dropping one-third of a medium tuber in each hill. So far as we 

 know they were all treated precisely alike. 



In these four columns the plats were in juxtaposition, which arc here placed 

 side by side. 



bresee's king of earlies. early siiaw. 



The results, favoring no use of superphosphate, may be owing to an improper 

 mixing in the soil. 



TRIMMIKG POTATOES. 



A single experiment last year with Campbell's Late Eose showed an increased 

 yield where the tops were about one-third cut off at three different times during 

 the growing season. A row of Peerless potatoes was divided into six equal parts 

 of 23 hills each. Alternate parts were trimmed three times, as above stated, 

 otherwise they Ave re treated alike. 



Trimmed, 23 hills yield 51 13-lG lbs. 



23 '' " 45 5-16 " 



"- 23 " '' -- 40 4-16 " 



137 6-16 lbs. 



23 hills not trimmed yield 59 13-16 lbs 



23 '' '' 64 13-16 



23 " '' 5113-16 " 



s. 



176 7-16 



This season, with our soil and treatment, it did not seem best to trim Peerless 

 potatoes. 



