POTATO CULTUBE. 81 



he began to tell others about it. At first we.were laughed 

 at and pitied for our greenness by many, the same as when 

 we began haying a month before the rest, and had dried 

 grass instead of hay that we must feed with grain. But we 

 had studied arithmetic, and had a little common sense, and 

 were able to figure out that we were on the right track, and 

 went right along. In due time our turn came for a great 

 big laugh. We have lived to see people, who once honestly 

 pitied us, plant large fields in the same way. 



My first experience was with the Early Goodrich, I think ; 

 then, soon after, with the Early Bose. The seed cost a high 

 price, and we cut it very fine, and gave the- best of care. 

 The result was a surprise in several ways. For example, we 

 cut the Bose down to one-eye pieces, mostly. Toward the 

 last, however, as the seed more than held out to plant the 

 piece we had prepared, we planted one row with quarters, 

 one with halves, and one with whole tubers, but not very 

 large. Now, of course the last row made the greatest show 

 at first, and the one-eye rows the poorest. Every one who 

 looked at the piece, myself among the rest, judged the yield 

 would be according to the growth early in the season. I was 

 pretty green then, some 23 years ago. Well, at digging-time 

 didn't we have some beauties where the one-eye seed was 

 used ? I picked out some that weighed two pounds each, 

 the more seed, the smaller they were ; and the yield from 

 one-eye seed gave 25 per cent more merchantable tubers 

 than the average of the other rows. Now, people thought 

 that was all right enough for garden culture and a high- 

 priced variety, cutting so fine ; but how crazy they thought 

 me when 1 began to carry out the same idea in field culture ! 

 A man wanted to put in a piece on shares. I furnished seed, 

 and it was rather small too. I hadn't then learned about 

 that. I insisted that they be cut to one eye. After planting 

 most of the piece with these little pieces his heart failed 

 him, and he came and told me he was afraid it would be a 

 failure, and begged that he might plant the rest of the piece 



