168 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



was almost exactly the same as that just now given. He laid great 

 stress on making up the pits when the potatoes were cool. He had 

 often to get up at three in the morning to do this work. 



"Don Augustin Herreros has rented an estate near Santiago 

 for the last eight years, and grows potatoes for the Santiago 

 market. The land is good, is irrigated from the river, and requires 

 no manure. He can grow potatoes on the same ground year after 

 year, but generally raises the three following crops in succession — 

 1st, wheat; 2nd, French beans; 3rd, potatoes; then wheat again. 

 He sometimes plants his own seed, but usually gets it from estates 

 farther south. The smaller potatoes are selected for seed, and are 

 always planted whole. He never saw any disease. The details as 

 to planting and treatment are nearly the same as given by Juan de 

 Dios Maraboli, but he plants earlier — in September or October — and 

 keeps down the weeds by hoeing. Near Santiago potatoes seldom 

 get rain from the time they are planted till they are ripe. 



"Don Jose Bruno Gonzalez Julio. — I enclose a copy of this 

 gentleman's letter. He is an engineer and farmer, and a very intel- 

 ligent man. 



" 'Mariposas, Talca, July 10th, 1881. 



" ' Dear Sir, — I received your esteemed letter of June 3rd, which 

 I have not answered sooner, partly because I was from home when 

 it arrived, partly because I had to ask information from those who 

 know the subject better than I do. I am very much pleased to be 

 able to say that the answers to the questions you sent me have been 

 obtained from trustworthy sources. 1st Question. Is ground for 

 potatoes manured, and if so with what kind of manure'? Answer — 

 If the ground is poor, it is manured with farm-yard manure. 2nd Q. 

 Is the seed planted whole, or divided 1 ? A. The general custom in 

 the country is to plant it whole, but latterly, if large, to divide it. 

 Great care is taken to select as seed, smooth, well-formed, medium- 

 sized potatoes. 3rd Q. In a good year what is the greatest quantity 

 in weight a hectarea will yield 1 ? (A hectarea equals 2 \ English 

 acres.) A. In free, rich soil 350 fanegas (a fanega is 200 lbs.), or, 

 expressed in English terms, 1 2 tons an acre. 4th Q. Is special care 

 taken to change the seed from one estate to another? A. It is 

 not the general practice to change the seed from one estate to 

 another; what is aimed at is to find the varieties best fitted 

 for each district. 5th Q. Has the potato in Chile been affected 

 by the disease so common in Europe, and which makes such 





