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tain those varieties that are not only most desirable for ourselves 

 and our cattle, but those that will return to us the greatest 

 amount of profit annually. 



We were somewhat surprised that no entries were made of 

 that very valuable and almost indispensible vegetable, the pda- 

 to ; not only as an article of diet, but one of the most remuner- 

 ative crops that can be grown in the County. The potato plant 

 is a native of Peru and has been known in Europe about two 

 hundred and fifty \ ears. Like most other important discoveries 

 it made but little progress tor many years. The potato will thrive in 

 every soil, and seldom suffers from an inclemency of seasons. 

 It is calculated that a far greater quantity of farinacious food can 

 be raised on an acre of ground planted with potatoes, than many 

 kinds of grain. They are not considered so hearty a food as 

 corn, but no man will perish with hunger who can have plenty 

 of potatoes. The analysis by some shows that potatoes and 

 water alone will nourish man completely. And whenever a 

 good crop of potatoes are grown we need have no fear of famine. 

 Since the introduction into this country of the nearly wild plant 

 much improvement has been made both in quanity as well as 

 quality. 



Not many years since a crop of six bushels was raised upon 

 one of our large farms in Essex County ; it was looked upon with 

 wonder and astonishment, the same farm at this late day would 

 produce as many hundred. Scarcely any cultivated crop can be 

 grown with less hand labor than the potato, now that we .have 

 both the planters and the diggers operating by horse power, the 

 planter will not only slice and drop uniformly, but will apply 

 any kind of fine dry fertilizing material, and at the same time 

 furrow and cover the potatoes ; with the Chandler hoe, and a 

 suitable kind of soil, properly prepared, in a favorable season the 

 potato can be grown at a profit for less than fifty cents per 

 bushel delivered at the farm. It may be worthy of remark tliat 

 P 



