240 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



received a note from you, soliciting a detailed account of the 

 manner of planting and cultivating tliem. 



The land on which they grew was poor pasture land, and had 

 not been cultivated for more than thirty years. It was plough- 

 ed last fall, and again this spring; was well manured, partly 

 with night soil and partly with piggery manure, to which was 

 added a quantity of guano and ground bones, — the cost of the 

 two latter being $6.60 per acre. The potatoes grew well, and 

 yielded a fair crop ; were dug early, and sent to market. In 

 digging the potatoes, the tops were laid regularly between the 

 rows ; at the same time care was taken to haul the earth over 

 them, which made somewhat of a ridge. These ridges were 

 three feet apart. The ruta-baga seed was dropped upon them, 

 nine inches apart, at several times between July 27th and 

 August 10th. No plough was used after taking oif the crop of 

 potatoes. At least one-tenth of the spaces intended for the 

 ruta-bagas was vacant, as the seed did not vegetate. About 

 ten days after the plants were up, the cultivator was passed 

 between the rows ; the plants were thinned out, leaving but one 

 in a space, and thoroughly weeded. This is all the cultivation 

 they received. About the 20th of October, the entire crop on 

 the five acres was sold for one hundred and ffty dollars — the 

 purchaser to take them from the ground, where they then were. 



The person who bought them says that the produce was more 

 than twelve hundred bushels, and that they were well worth 

 the sum he paid for them. When it is considered that this 

 crop was raised upon land that had produced a fair yield of 

 potatoes, and that thirty dollars per acre was realized for a 

 second crop, while the expense did not exceed five dollars per 

 acre, I am led to believe that land will sometimes, at least, pay 

 the cultivator a fair compensation for the labor bestowed. 

 With much esteem. 



Your obedient servant, 



Cheever Newhall. 



