THE PENINSULA FARMERS' CLUB. 469 



weeds came up I went over these hills with the potato hook. In the course of 

 a week or such matter, I went through them again with my horse hoe, this 

 time throwing the dirt to the hills. Afterw^ards I cultivated as I found it 

 necessary or convenient, say three or four times in the season. I made mj 

 hills small to save labor — no doubt a light drag would serve this end, that is, 

 save labor. All the hand work was done with the potato hook, as I have 

 stated, except, of course, the work to keep down bugs. Early Rose potatoes 

 should be planted deeper. Straight rows save labor. 



Mr. Montague. — My method is much like Mr. Marshall's. In addition, I use 

 ashes and plaster — two parts ashes to one of plaster. This application pro- 

 motes early growth. I plant early. Perhaps we don't raise so many as we 

 might if barnyard manure was applied. They use this in New York, and 

 raise from 400 to 600 bushels to the acre. Manure of this description might 

 not be so valuable here, but I have no doubt rotted barnyard manure would 

 increase the yield one-third or more. I plant the whole potato. Have prac- 

 ticed both ways, but prefer the whole potato if not too large. 



Mr. Tracy. — Mr. Salter, of Minnesota, raised, I have read, 1,000 bushels to 

 the acre. After hilling up he filled up the trenches with barnyard manure. I 

 believe the variety was Early Vermont. 



Mr. Drew. — Three hundred bushels to the acre is a large crop in this coun- 

 try of either Carters or Peach blows. 



Mr. Tracy. — How early shall we plant ? 



Mr. Drew. — That depends on the season. If touched with the frost their 

 growth is retarded, — say about corn-planting time. 



Mr. Marshall. — Peachblows start slowly. There is no advantage in attempt- 

 ing to sprout. Early Rose do better not planted so early. 



Mr. Reese. — How late should we cultivate ? 



Mr. Montague. — Not after the tops begin to droop. Our rule is not after 

 they blossom. Our plan is to plant early, go through in two weeks, and again 

 in about ten days. We don't hill at all, but you must throw dirt to the hill or 

 you will have sunburnt potatoes. 



Mr. Marshall. — You must keep the weeds out, even if you have to pull them 

 out. 



Mr. Montague. — If the ground is crusted, stir it; it may be necessary to do 

 so once a week. 



Mr. Drew. — I have known this to be done. Turn over a pasture of say ten 

 acres; plant one half to Early Rose; cut in sets, one eye to the set; plant in 

 every third furrow, ten to twelve inches apart; pass the harrow lengthwise 

 over the rows and recross the other way; then work with the cultivator. This 

 will give a good crop of smooth, even sized potatoes. The remainder of the 

 ground sow to peas. All will come off in time for fall wheat. This will give 

 fine feed for hogs and immense crops may be raised. 



Mr. Tracy. — How about drills ? 



Mr. Drew. — This is the plan in Scotland: They are put in eight inches 

 apart in the rows, and rows twenty inches apart, and crops of 500 or 600 

 bushels are raised. You can't raise so many in hills. Land is too valuable 

 there to plant in any other way. The average of our potato crop here for the 

 last ten years is about 100 bushels to the acre. 



Mr. Brinkman. — More potatoes can be raised in drills than hills. It usually 

 takes twelve hills to the bushel. 



Mr. Tracy. — I got one bushel from eight hills. 



