470 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Mr. Montague. — I have dug one bushel Early Shaw from four hills. I put 

 in plenty of seed, used to cut my potatoes, and put in three pieces to the hill. 



Mr. Tracy. — My experience is in favor of drills; the only trouble is the 

 economy of cultivating. 



Mr. Drew. — Plow your land in ridges, plant your potatoes on each side of the 

 ridge, split the ridge with the plow which throws the dirt each way and covers 

 the potatoes. 



Mr. Montague. — I have seen potatoes planted as Mr. drew describes. No 

 doubt more can be raised by planting in drills. The trouble is the expense of 

 cultivating, unless you have good tools. 



Mr. Chas. Beers. — In New Jers y they i^lant Peachblows in hills and Early 

 Eose in drills, three feet apart; use a harrow, and when the potato is up plow 

 from it and afterwards throw the dirt to the hill. They use a machine to dig 

 them. The soil is a clay loam. Guano is used as a fertilizer, andbarn yard 

 manure and marl as a compost. 



Mr. Brinkman. — I think Peachblows should be planted on our heaviest 

 land ; you won't get one half a crop on sandy land. Plant Early Rose and 

 Shaws on sandy land, — not Peachblows. My first crop of potatoes here was 

 the best I believe I ever did raise. I planted three pecks of seed and harvested 

 eighty bushels of potatoes, but they were Eed Merinos. I don't think Peach- 

 blows yield as heavily as some other varieties, but they are the market potato. 

 We plant our Early Eose too soon, I think. 



Mr. E. K. Wait. — My Early Eose did better than any other variety. I 

 planted them about the first of June. 



Mr. Stone. —I planted my Early Eose about the first of May. They yielded 

 110 bushels to the acre. 



Mr. Tracy. — I am of the opinion that the Fluke, or some early potato other 

 than the Eose, better than that variety. 



Mr. Montague. — The Peerless is not so good. It will grow too large, and the 

 quality is inferior. 



Mr. Tracy. — I saw at our last fair the best potato I ever saw. It was a seed- 

 ling from the Fluke, between the Early Eose and Peachblow iu ripening. 

 They were remarkably uniform in size. 



Mr. Drew. — The English Fluke is not very profitable here. Fifty bushels to 

 the acre is a large crop, but it is one of the very best for bakiug. 



Mr. Eeese.— In Europe I have known 800 bushels of this variety dug from 

 one acre. 



Mr. Brinkman. — The Early Shaw is a good baker and a good yielder. 



Mr. Tracy. — I believe you can get as early a ripe potato from the Shaw ae 

 from the Early Eose. 



Mr. Montague. — The Climax is a fine potato too, but if we raise for market 

 we must grow what people like. 



Mr. Tracy. — The Vanderveen will sell well, and there are many other vari- 

 eties which, perhaps, will sell quite as well in the Chicago market. 



Mr. Brinkman. — A Traverse City lawyer told me he wanted nothing but 

 Peachblows. Grand Traverse Peachblows seem to be the favorite. 



Mr. Tracy. — The white Peachblow, if we raise any. 



Mr. Brinkman. — Plenty of mauure plowed under, not too deep, is just what 

 we want. The whole secret is in 150 bushels manure to the acre. A Ehode 

 Island man paid $4,000 for manure, and got his money back by sale of three 

 crops of potatoes, besides leaving his land in prime order. 



