246 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



less figure than fifteen dollars. Again, with all the aid possible 

 from modern implements, I could not dig and put into the cel- 

 lar such a crop, with the picking of it up, which would be in- 

 volved in the operation, for a sum less than fifteen dollars ; and 

 with the common method of digging with the hoe, not even for 

 that figure. But I assume that a man who had the enterprise 

 to plant so largely of No. 6 dug his potatoes with more or less 

 aid from the plough. I find Allen's potato digger, which is a 

 modification of the double mould board plough, a capital labor- 

 saving implement, in potato digging. When I first tested it, I 

 feared it would bruise the potatoes badly ; but to my surprise it 

 di$ not on the average bruise one to a cartload. I have had it 

 tested on good loam, on rough, ledgy hillside, and on bog mea- 

 dow ; it did the best of work, and about equally well in each 

 instance. I put two good hands digging beside it on bog mea- 

 dow, and found that with one person to drive the horses and one 

 to hold the machine, it did the work of twelve men, cutting and 

 bruising next to no potatoes, while the best of diggers will 

 always cut more or less, and some hands a quarter of what they 

 dig ; particularly if the potatoes are of large size and long in 

 shape. I had fear lest a large portion of the crop would be 

 covered by the earth thrown up by the machine ; but by digging 

 every other row on the piece and teaming them off before the 

 remainder of the piece is dug, there are certainly no more lost, 

 and probably less, than by common hand digging. The imple- 

 ment requires two horses, and can be readily managed by any 

 man who ever held a plough. By careful figuring I found I 

 cleared its cost every two days, when in use. I confidently 

 advise every farmer who grows an acre of potatoes in drills, to 

 buy one of these diggers. The price is sixteen dollars ; it can 

 be procured of Ames & Co., and probably other dealers in Bos- 

 ton. 



Patrick Kieley raised a very nice crop of ruta-bagas, for table 

 use, which appeared to be of the London Swede variety. I 

 must take issue with him on some of the details of the cost of 

 raising the crop ; should not want to contract to plough a half * 

 acre of land three times and harrow twice, for less than twelve 

 dollars, and could not spread butter very thick on bread at that 

 price. 



