POTATOES AND CORN. 189 



and eighty bushels of ashes ; the rows were planted twenty-eight 

 inches apart, and the crop was about 500 bushels. It wasn't 

 very accurately measured, but we had no doubt that it was 

 about that. I don't think the crop cost to exceed ten cents a 

 bushel, provided the land is in as good condition as it was before 

 the crop was raised on it. 



Professor Agassiz. May I be permitted to return once more 

 to my question, for I was, perhaps, not understood ? I wanted 

 to obtain some information with reference to the nutritive prop- 

 erties of turnips, beets, carrots and like roots, as compared with 

 potatoes. In the one case we eat or feed essentially starch ; in 

 the other we eat or feed essentially sugar. Now the question is, 

 what is the respective value of these crops — the potato on one 

 side, a farinaceous tubercle, and the sugar roots on the other — 

 with reference to agricultural economy ? 



Mr. Harrington. I am very glad Professor Agassiz has asked 

 the question. It has been revolved in my mind very seriously 

 whether the farmers of Massachusetts are proceeding in the 

 best course to arrive at the best result in regard to profit. 

 That is what we should all aim at — profit and the improvement 

 of the farm. I would ask the question, whether it is not a fact 

 that, taking the whole of Massachusetts, good hay is the best 

 crop for your stock, for market and for beef ? 



Mr. Putnam, of Danvers. This question is important to us all 

 as farmers. I may differ somewhat from the remarks that have 

 been made here this forenoon. The question before the Board 

 is, I suppose, what is the best crop to raise to support our 

 domestic animals ? We have had the experience of Mr. Ware 

 in a particular locality — in Marblehead — with roots. I should 

 take the ground that we have another crop which is more advan- 

 tageous for feeding to domestic animals than roots, and that is 

 Indian corn. My experience is, that I can raise one hundred 

 bushels of Indian corn where I can raise one thousand bushels 

 of roots. Some few years ago the Board published a statement 

 saying that Indian meal was the most nutritive and best addi- 

 tion that could be made to English hay for the production of 

 milk. Now the Board seems rather tending to the encourage- 

 ment of the growing of roots than directing the attention of 

 farmers to Indian corn, which they have shown by experiments 

 made at Westborough, if I recollect right, is the most profitable 



