102 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Statement of B. Safford. 



Potatoes. — The land on which I tried my experiment has 

 been in grass some eiglit years, without any manure. In the 

 fall of 1854 it was turned over, and last spring ploughed again. 

 It is on a side hill, and I think if the whole piece had been ma- 

 nured with one kind of manure, there would have been one- 

 quarter more potatoes on the lower than on the upper side. 

 The piece being long and narrow, I furrowed lengthwise, mak- 

 ing eighteen rows, and one hundred and thirty hills long. I 

 commenced planting on the lower side. 

 Lot. Manure. Poduct of 10 hills. 



No. 1. Horse manure, a shovelful to the hill, . *2G^ lbs. 



" 2. Guano, a large table spoonful to the hill, . 27-| " 



3. Guano and plaster, equal parts, a spoonful, 27 " 



4. Guano and muck, one part guano, three parts 

 muck, a handful, .... 26^ 



5. Droppings during the previous summer from 

 the turkey roost, which had laid out under 

 the tree all winter and spring, with muck, one 

 part turkey manure to two parts muck, one 

 pint to the hill, ..... 30 





a 



a 



a 



Statement of Jahez Fisher. 



Potatoes. — My experiment in raising potatoes, which is at 

 the same time an experiment in manuring, was conducted as 

 follows : One-fourth of an acre of ground, consisting of a mod- 

 erately strong loam, resting upon a clay bottom, was divided 

 into five equal parts. Each plot was manured, as in the table, 

 with seventy-five cents worth of the material, or, at the rate of 

 $15' per acre. The potatoes were of the long, black variety, 

 and of those planted no one exceeded an English walnut in siz^ 

 while they w^ould average considerably smaller. They were 

 planted, June 12th, in drills, three feet nine inches apart, the 

 potatoes being placed from twelve to fifteen inches distant from 

 each other in the drill. The manure was put in the drill with 

 the potatoes. The ground was hoed but once, and the cultiva- 



* The potatoes grown in the horse manure were very wormy, all the other lots 

 were fair, and free from worms. 



