106 



THE CANADIAN H0ETICDLTURI8T. 



year, and with a little care the bank is 

 always in good condition. 



Eoyston Park, Feb. 24. NATURE. 



POTATOE CULTURE. 



Potatoes may be grown in any kind 

 of soil, but to grow them of good qual- 

 ity requires land of a sandy nature, 

 well drained. To grow them for early 

 market plant the sets in a hot-bed close 

 together about ten days before setting 

 them out in the field, so that they may 

 have a growth of an inch or so in 

 length. Some start them in boxes or 

 barrels in a kitchen or warm room, but 

 that is only for small quantities. Have 

 the land ploughed the fall before, and 

 in the spring work it well with the 

 grubber or pulverizing harrow. Make 

 the drills thirty inches apart. Closer 

 than that you will not have enough of 

 earth to fill them up properly, and 

 there will be more small ones and a 

 great many sun-burnt growing out of 

 the ground. Put one-seventh cart load 

 of rotten manure to a drill of three 

 acres in length. Plant the sets care- 

 fully therein, about ten inches apart, 

 covering them gently with a few inches 

 of earth with the hand or feet, taking 

 care not to break off the sprouts ; then 

 apply about fifteen pounds of fertilizer 

 (containing a good percentage of potash ) 

 to each drill, scattering it over the sets. 

 The sets being slightly covered with 

 earth protects them from the fertilizer, 

 as it is concentrated, and might injure 

 the sprouts. Finish covering with the 

 plough. By using this fertilizer I have 

 had potatoes fit for market ten days 

 before those where I used no fertilizer. 

 In a few days the potatoes will be 

 through the ground. Keep the weeds 

 down by the use of the hoe and culti- 

 vator. When the plants are long 

 enough they may be moulded up with 

 the plough. By this means of cultiva- 

 tion we have had potatoes on our mar- 



ket by the end of June, bringing from 

 two to four dollars per bushel. 



For general crop plough in the man- 

 iire in the fall, about twenty-five one- 

 horse loads to the acre, for manure in 

 the drill, especially cow manure, tends 

 to grow scabby potatoes. Draw drills 

 as for early potatoes, and use fertilizer 

 also. Never let the drills be drawn a 

 long time before planting and covering, 

 for if the drills remain a day or two in 

 the hot sun the potatoes will get scald- 

 ed and never come up. It is a good 

 thing to pass the roller over the drills ; 

 it keeps the land moist. When the 

 potatoes are on the point of coming up, 

 harrow the drills down with the saddle 

 harrow or a Scotch harrow turned up- 

 side down. To kill the weeds use the 

 hoe and cultivator, &c., the same as for 

 early potatoes. We have grown 450 

 bushels to the acre cultivated in this 

 way. For early potatoes I like the 

 Early Vermont the best. It was a 

 week earlier than the Beauty of He- 

 bron and Early Rose. The Hebron is 

 a popular market variety, but rots 

 easier than the other two. I raised 

 200 bushels of Early Maine from 7J 

 bushels of seed. They resemble the 

 Early Vermont. I have not tested 

 them for earliness together. Old pas- 

 ture land and clover ploughed in will 

 give the largest yield of potatoes. 

 Change your seed every year, if possi- 

 ble from land different from your own. 



M. G. 



THE NEW DUTIES ON BERRIES. 



By the change recently made in the 

 tariff of customs on berries, the duties 

 on a crate containing 54 baskets is con- 

 siderably increased. The old duty was 

 two cents on a basket, which was $1.08. 

 on the crate. The duty is now four 

 cents per pound, weight of package to 

 be included. A crate containing 54 

 baskets will weigh from 90 to 100 lbs., 



