130 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



ground entirely level. I have never hilled my potatoes at all. 

 The consequence is, that I get good crops of large, merchant- 

 able potatoes, and very few small ones. 



Mr. Saltonstall, of Newton. The cultivation of the 

 potato is one of the most interesting subjects to the fiirmer, 

 as it is to the "doctors and scientific men," just alluded to, 

 and to the men of no science who dabble with farming ; men 

 who have a love for the land, and like to live in the country. 

 I am one of the latter. It is a subject of great interest to all, 

 and I have listened with the greatest pleasure to what has 

 been said. I have had great luck with the cultivation of this 

 crop, and therefore my experience may be of some value. I have 

 very few things to say, and will say them in the briefest words. 



In the first place, I think it is of the greatest consequence 

 that the seed should come from a distance, and, if possible, 

 from a district where the rot and kindred diseases have never 

 been known. My seed is always brought from Maine, and is 

 always fair and of even size. In the next place, I think it is 

 very important that only one eye should be planted by itself. 

 I do not plant in hills, but in drills, and am very careful that 

 the potato shall be so cut that one eye shall be cut out fairly, 

 and only one. I think the result has always showed the 

 wisdom of that course. In the next place, the ground should 

 be thoroughly pulverized for that as for every crop. The 

 manure is dropi^ed in the drill. The land should be in 

 such a state of cultivation that the seed can be covered with 

 the plough, which is a great saving of trouble. Then, when 

 the potato shows itself above ground two or three inches, I 

 send the plough along the rows, and turn the earth from the 

 potato on the sunny side of the drill. That, I think, is very 

 important ; it allows the heat of the sun to get into the roots, 

 and it destroys the weeds that are growing at the same time. 

 That is better than any other course I have ever adopted. 

 After the potatoes have obtained sufficient strength, — I cannot 

 say the exact. height, I judge by my eye, — the plough is used 

 again and throws the earth back upon the row, and, return- 

 ing, throws it upon the other side. I seldom use the cultiva- 

 tor, but the plough, for the potato. I must say that I take no 

 credit to myself for this mode of cultivation, because I learned 

 it from the Irish. We all know that the Irish have excellent 



