THE PENINSULA FARMERS' CLUB. 435 



Mr. Pratt. — Squashes and other vegetables grown in this region are very 

 highly esteemed, and sought after in the Lake Superior region. I believe that 

 it would prove profitable to raise sufficient to make a market, as I am per- 

 suaded that purchasers would be found to buy all we could produce. 



Mr. Avery. — What time do squashes ripen here ? 



Mr. Pratt. — The time of ripening differs, but is generally late in September 

 or early in October. 



Mr. Avery. — Mr. Moore, of Detroit, who received potatoes from here last 

 year, wants more this year. He assured me that he cannot find any as good 

 as ours. 



Mr. Brinkman. — "We can generally afford to raise potatoes to sell at twenty- 

 five cents a bushel and clear twenty-five dollars per acre. This year, although 

 one crop was small, I netted nearly thirty-six dollars to the acre, my potatoes 

 costing me twenty dollars, delivered at the dock, my receipts being fifty-six 

 dollars per 125 bushels, the average yield per acre. My carrots succeeded well 

 this year. I sowed a patch of twenty-four rods, from which I have sold twelve 

 dollars' worth, have twenty-eight bushels in my cellar, and consider that I have 

 not yet harvested half of the crop. The variety white Belgian, sown on clay 

 soil, and gathered by hand. 



Mr. Montague. — My potatoe crop resulted in a yield of 150 bushels to the 

 acre. I plant in hills four feet apart. My potatoes cost me twenty-five cents 

 a bushel. I advise the farmers of this club to raise, annually, three or four 

 acres each. 



Mr. M. Sweeny. — My yield of peas this year was twenty-five bushels to the 

 acre. I believe they are a more profitable crop than corn, especially for feed- 

 ing hogs. 



Mr. Brinkman. — My peas yielded twenty-seven bushels to the acre at a cost 

 of seven dollars. They were threshed by machine, which I consider better 

 than treading out. I believe peas to be more profitable than corn for feeding 

 hogs. 



Mr. Gill. — If peas are taken dry from the field they can be easily and profit- 

 ably threshed by machine ; but if allowed to remain in the " mow " till they 

 become sweaty, they can be threshed better and cheaper by hand than by 

 machine. 



THE BEST CROPS TO GROW AT OLD MISSION. 



Old Mission, December 15, 1873. 



The club met at 6.30 P. M., Mr. J. E. Savage in the chair. 



E. B. McCallum, recording secretary. 



Subject for discussion : " In view of the success of the past, and our facilities 

 for shipping, what are the best crops for us to grow next year?" 



Mr. Will W. Tracy proceeded to open the subject for the evening with the 

 following address : 



Mr. Peesident and Gentlemen : — In bringing before you the subject 

 selected for discussion this evening, I will confine my remarks to one or two of 

 the principles that underlie the question and are independent of the immediate 

 profitableness of crops or their effect upon the soil. These particulars may be 

 more ably discussed by those among you who are more experienced than I am. 



