194 
cially of being his own master, which, to a person of independent, self- 
reliant spirit, is of no small account. It may be thought that, all the 
hay being geckoned at market-value, the profit on the cows is put too 
high; but the straw and corn fodder, (or their avails,) and what turnips 
ean be raised after a crop of early potatoes, will afford abundant feed 
for two cows through the winter. There is no cheaper way to keep 
cows in first-rate order than to raise turnips enough to feed one bushel 
per day to each through the winter. On some small farms as many as 
five cows are kept. In that case less hay is cut, and what is is chiefly 
fed out. Consequently more manure is made and less bought. But the 
more cows the more work in the house, and as the usual aim is to get 
along without outside help, the sources from which profits are sought on 
the farm are often regulated by the state of the family in respect 
to the relative amount of outdoor and indoor help it affords. The 
fact is not overlooked that all small farms do not yield a profit equal 
to the above estimate; while some are made to exceed it, others 
are made only to yield a bare subsistence. But in the latter case the 
failure can always be traced either toa soil of poorer than average’ 
quality, or to a lack of intelligence and aptitude for acquiring it, or a 
lack of sound judgment, or of industry, or some similar cause. 
EXPERIMENTS IN POTATO CULTIVATION.—The following statement 
is received from J. V. H. Scovill, of Paris, Oneida County, New York: 
Many practice the habit of selecting only small potatoes for seed, reserving those 
that are merchantable for sale. Others plant medium-sized potatoes, cutting only 
the largest. Some practice shallow planting; others plant’ more deeply and dig them 
svith a machine. I have made some experiments during the past season to ascertain, 
if possible, what is the best kind of seed to use. The ground used for this purpose 
was a Clay loam, and was an inverted green-sward, ploughed about seven inches deep. 
The potatoes were planted in hills, the rows being 3 feet by 2 feet 9 inches apart, mak- 
ing 5,280 hills to an acre. The number of hills planted of each kind was seventy, and 
the result figured out as if by the acre. The seed was carefully weighed, both at the 
time of planting and at the time of digging, and was estimated at the rate of sixty 
pounds to the bushel. The rows were marked with a horse-marker and the seed coy- 
ered about two inches deep. The variety experimented with was the Garnet Chili, a 
variety largely cultivated in Central New York for local marketing. They were 
planted June 1, and harvested October 21. 
5 o g Z 
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os S2 | sf | Se 
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Bush. 0)\ Bush. of | Bush. of Bush. of 
P | 60 lbs. | 60lbs. | 60 Lbs. | 60 lbs. 
1 | One eye to a piece, and one piece in a @ill --.--..--------------- 34 1023 5s 108 
2 | One eye to a piece, and two pieces in a hill..-..-.-------------- 9 1-6 175t 16 1915 
3 | Two eyes to a piece, and one piece in a hill..-.-.--------------- 8 4-5 16114 144 | 175% 
4 | Two eyes to a piece, and two pieces in a hill..------------------ 134 173 213 | 1942 
’ 5 | Three eyes to a piece, and one piece in a hill ...-.-.------------ 10% 1753 212 197¢ 
‘§ | Three eyes to a piece, and two pieces in a hill -.--..------------ | 183 1644 414 205% 
7 | Four eyes to a piece, and one piece in a hill-...---.------------- 12 1564 22) 179 
3 | Four eyes to a piece, and two pieces in a hill ...--.------------- } 273 1463 47 1934 
9 | One large potato in a hill.........-.....-.--------+--+---------- 443 168 62 230 
10 | One large potato divided, in a hiil.............-.-------------- = 22 163 Qeh 1913 
11 | One small potato in a hill............-:....-..------+----------- 10% |’ -138 23 161 
12 | One small potato divided, in a hill .-...........-.-------- a 64 125 18 143 
13 | I'wo small potatoes in a hill ...-.............-Paee----- - 213 132% 463) 1794 
14 | One medium potato in a hill ..................---------- | 264 159 | 362 195} 
15 | One medium potato divided, in a bill...-......-.------- | 163} 1542 263 | 1814 
416 | Seed end of the potato in a hill ................-.------ 12 158 244 182} 
47 | Potato, with seed end cut off, in a hill ....-....-------- 29 1563 38 | 1943 
18 | Two medium potatoes cut in two, four pieces ina hill. 30% 191 38 tsi 229 
19 | One medium potato quartered, four pieces in a hill. - 274 168 62 230 
20 | One large potato in a hill, with eyes dug out..--.-- 35 114 143 1283 
WielA-GrOp pee ee ene emai =a cee em a a oe RE eo Neiman cans aalal inte 1564 28 | 184 
Hield-Crop; ECAC PLOWS co. ~ jo. = 246k oe SU REE ae as = = nee eee 194 Q12 2154 
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