TWITCH-GRASS. 175 



I know of. The sod will become so filled with the roots of it 

 that I think it becomes a valuable manure. My plan for destroy- 

 ing it would be to break up the land after haying, in August — 

 that would be in warm weather, usually — and the next spring I 

 sho\ild put upon it either a crop of squashes or cabbages. Both 

 crops are planted late, so that there would be ample time to 

 plough up the sod, which would have got well rotted. I would 

 plough it and cross-plough it when I break it up, which would 

 leave the land in a very rough condition ; but, as I have said, 

 there will be time enough to plough it twice before you put in 

 your crop of either cabbages or squashes, and by that time most 

 of the twitch-grass is dead. If there is any left, we calculate 

 to have our land in such a condition that the crop of squashes 

 or cabbages will cover the whole ground, and the twitch grass 

 cannot grow, for it will be shaded completely and choked to 

 death. It is a very easy matter, therefore, to manage twitch- 

 grass. 



Mr. Perkins. I would inquire in regard to the size of the 

 potatoes you plant ? 



Mr. Ware. I prefer a medium size. I tried, a few years, 

 planting small potatoes ; but I think the tendency is to cause the 

 seed to degenerate somewhat. We very frequently buy our seed 

 potatoes, because potatoes grown continuously in one location 

 quite a number of years do not usually yield so well. There- 

 fore we buy the seed from the East, and buying the seed, we 

 take it as it comes, being careful to buy pure seed, and plant 

 the potatoes, whether large or medium or small. There are 

 usually not many small ones come. We cut them according to 

 their size, leaving about two-eyes on a piece. 



Mr. Perkins. I would like to call your attention to Mr. 

 Stockbridge's question — whether you see any difference in the 

 crops that follow the various roots ? 



Mr. Ware. I think carrots leave the ground in a better con- 

 dition for other crops than any other crop. A crop of turnips 

 or mangold wurzels does not leave the ground in so favorable 

 condition for other crops, and so with cabbages. Carrots, by 

 way of a cross, will follow a cabbage crop admirably ; but I 

 should think it quite objectionable to follow mangold wurzels, 

 cabbages or turnips with carrots. I should never think of 

 planting cabbages or turnips or mangold wurzels two years in 



