450 FARMERS' INSTITUTES. 



of stable manure becomes necessary, also the application of commercial fer- 

 tilizers; stable manure should be well decomposed; green manure in dry- 

 seasons will remain undecomposed and the full benefit cannot be obtained ; 

 clover sod should not be less than eight or ten inches high, previous to 

 plowing (which should be done during a damp time if possible in order to 

 make the work of decay rapid and certain). By the addition of 15 or 20 loads 

 of stable manure to the acre, plowed in with the clover, a fine yield may be 

 expected. One acre well cultivated is more profitable than two poorly cared 

 for; but you may say we have ten acres of clover sod to turn under for pota- 

 toes, and lack the 15 or 20 loads of manure for each acre — what shall we do? 

 I reply: plant just what you can manure well, and should you have but 15 

 or 20 loads of manure, all told, plow but five acres of the clover and give 

 your horses and the other five acres a rest — it requires as much horseflesh to 

 plow a poor acre as a good one — everything needs rest, let the clover grow 

 up and decay upon the ground (do not mow it), and it will be all right for 

 another season ; presume the whole ten acres were planted with potatoes, and 

 a drought should set in, where would you get clover from, another season? 

 Save some of your ammunition. Have you ever noticed, the poorest farmers 

 have the greatest number of acres under the plow and the poorest horses, 

 all worn out by plowing. Remember, " The merciful man is kind to his 

 beast," and "make no haste to be rich if you would prosper." 



We have now a field of clover ten inches high, thickly covered with 

 manure well decomposed, the lumps broken and evenly spread ; we have also 

 applied a barrel of cheap salt to each acre to furnish soda and prevent the 

 ravages of wire worms, all being plowed in as fast as spread to prevent any 

 waste by evaporation. With land thus prepared, we are willing to consider 

 that part of our subject under the head of 



PLANTING. 



In planting I would have the rows 27 inches apart, instead of three feet, 

 as is the usual practice in Michigan (the fact is, poor land will not admit of 

 close planting). I would then plant seed, cut to one eye, ten inches apart 

 in the rows, and about five inches deep. Where machinery is employed for 

 planting, it would pay to put about six or eight hundred pounds of some 

 good potato fertilizer on each acre. Not that I place much confidence in 

 commercial fertilizers. They must be used judiciously. They are stimu- 

 lating, and give the young plants a start which should be supported by the 

 clover and liberal dressing of manure. I do not believe in the use of com- 

 mercial fertilizers alone. Referring again to close planting, with seed cut to 

 one eye, it will be seen that the more we distribute the eyes (which are embryo 

 sprouts) of a potato over a given area, in that proportion will the plants 

 receive the full benefit of the manure, and where the land is thoroughly 

 enriched, close planting must be practiced to produce large returns. The 

 more we can realize from a given area the greater will be the saving in plow- 

 ing and cultivation. The old system of planting whole potatoes has become 

 almost obsolete ; our poverty-stricken soils have driven us to a better method. 

 Then again, seed cut finely will plant a greater area, other things being equal. 

 However, we use more seed because of heavy manuring and close planting, 

 and in return expect three or four hundred bushels to the acre. Thirdly, 



