SPINACH FOR MARKET. 37 



then, when the ground got perfectly dry, I had a lot of dried 

 oak-leaves, and I used to put eight or ten inches of dried 

 leaves over the spinach. Then, of course, when I saw an 

 appearance of rain, I used to put shutters over it. I had 

 shutters that I used instead of sashes. Of course I used sashes 

 when I sowed the spinach, and took care of it. The board 

 shutters kept it perfectly tight, so that no water could get 

 through ; and in mild days in winter I could take one of 

 those shutters off, scrape the leaves off, and get a bushel of 

 spinach any time I wanted it, and immediately cover it up 

 with leaves again, and put on the shutter. I never had any 

 difficulty in keeping spinach without erecting a house for it. 



Mr. PiEECE. The gentleman just up has reminded me to 

 say that his mode of keeping spinach is a capital one ; but 

 farmers, if I understand it, who raise spinach, do it to make 

 money. The price of spinach is about half a dollar for three 

 bushels ; and it would not pay to raise spinach in any such 

 manner, and sell three bushels for half a dollar. I have got 

 five or six hundred bushels which I could afford to sell now 

 at the rate of tliree bushels for half a dollar, and make a 

 pretty good tiling of it, by keeping it in a spinach-house. If 

 it was raised in the fall, it would be nicer and fresher ; but, 

 at the ruinous prices we get now, I do not think it would be 

 a profitable business. 



Mr. Waee of Marblehead. Having occupied the time 

 last year on this same subject, I came here hoping to hear 

 from others, and did not expect to speak. But there have 

 been one or two inquiries with regard to the subject of 

 mildew. It is a subject of very great importance to the 

 farmers and to every one else. It is one, perhaps, not fully 

 understood ; but I have watched, to some extent, the operation 

 of this mildew, or fungus-growth, and what little observa- 

 tion I have made I am very happy to present to this meeting, 

 not in a scientific way, however ; and our friend Mr. Flint 

 has just told me that we are to have a scientific gentleman 

 present that subject at some future time during these meet- 

 ings. I did not know that ; but I will say a few words, if 

 you please, upon the subject of fungus-growth upon vege- 

 tables. The potato-rot, that has so long been a source of 

 trouble to us farmers, is, without question, the result of this 

 mildew, or fungus-growth ; and I have observed the opera- 



