HORTICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 225 



Mr. Wilcox. The way I have succeeded in getting rid of it, is to 

 reject the potatoes so affected as seed. I have not been troubled 

 with it much since coming West. It don't think there were ten 

 bushels out of the thousand I raissd last year that were affected 

 by the disease at all. 



President Elliot. What kind of soil do you plant them in? 



Mr. Wilcox. It was quite heavy clay soil or what the farmers 

 there term grub land. I presume you know what it is. 



Pres. Elliot. First or second crop? 



Mr. Wilcox. It was the third crop. 



Pres. Elliot. What were the two previous crops? 



Mr. Wilcox. Corn., I think. 



President Elliot. What variety do you recommend for early 

 market ? 



Mr. Wilcox. My favorite heretofore has been the beauty of 

 Hebron. The best market potatoes, for growing here, are what is 

 called the "white star." 



President Elliot. Mr. Grimes has grown a great many potatoes 

 for market, and I think he can illustrate what his method is. 



Mr. Grimes. Mr. President, in the first place in order to 

 secure a crop it is necessary that you should have good seed. My 

 manner of saving seed has been a good deal like the way some of 

 our farmers would save seed for corn. When I found a hill with 

 one or more specimens just such as I wished to plant, middling 

 specimens, and perfectly healthy, I would throw them to one side 

 between the rows and after the row was dry I would gather them 

 up for seed. In regard to specimens, I neither select the largest 

 nor smallest. Do not select your small potatoes as some farmers 

 do, thinking if they are too small for the table they will do for 

 seed. If you select the largest ones you will find the crop follow- 

 ing will be inclined to be rough. They wont grow smooth and 

 straight. You should select your seed from middling sized 

 potatoes. 



Now, my way of planting is to furrow out the land, have it nicely 

 plowed, and run in and out in straight furrows with a plow. I 

 would drop two pieces of seed in the hill. 



In regard to fertilizers, if you want to raise a good crop of pota- 

 toes, I would use strong barnyard manure and all the ashes I 

 could get, and just scatter it along my rows. My way of covering 

 the potatoes, has been with a common three-horse harrow. The 

 rows I usually plant three feet and nine inches apart, but some- 

 times three and one-half feet. Then, when you get your potatoes 

 dropped along, you can go over the ground with your harrow and 

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