w- 



40 THE GENESEE FAIIMER 





dry we.ntlicr and a liot sun often prove very injui-ious. The plant flowers about the 

 middle of Juno, its delicate blue blossoms presenting a very beautiful appearance. Hail 

 storms and heavy j'ains ai'e now to be dreaded. 



If the crop is grown entirely for the seed, it should be allowed to get fully ripe ; but 

 if llax is the oi)ject, experience proves that it should be cut or pulled befoi'e fully ripe; 

 for although the seed will not be so full and i)lump, yet the increased fineness of the llax 

 fully makes up for it. The Dutch method of ascertaining when it is ready to cut is as 

 follows : "A full grown stem is selected, and the I'ipest capsule is cut horizontally with 

 a sharp knife. If the interior of the seed pickles is found to be firm and of a dark green, 

 the flax is considered fit for pulling." 



In another number we propose a consideration of the best methods of preparing the 

 flax for market, and also the most profitable way to dispose of the seed. 



EXPERIENCE IN POTATO CULTURE. 



BY A CORRESPONDENT AT JUNCTION, ILL. 



By your leave I will give you a portion of my experience for the past season. On some 

 high ground, level and rather worn, well manured and plowed the previous fall, and 

 plowed again immediately before planting, I marked out a piece five rods square, and on the 

 23d of May planted it with potatoes, (Carters,) in drills about two feet nine inches apart; 

 potatoes cut so as to leave two or three eyes in a piece and planted nine inches apart 

 in the drills. The first three rows had unleached ashes put upon them at the rate of 

 five or six quarts to the row. On the second three rows I put about the same quantity 

 of air-slaked lime. The next three rows Avere salted, four quarts to a row. On the 

 next three rows I put charcoal dust, six quarts to a row, and the balance of the piece 

 was all ashed as the first three rows. Alongside this five rod square piece I planted in 

 the same way, without ashes or any other application. "When the potatoes were up six 

 inches, I covered the first three rows with the scrapings of the barn-yard (all rotten 

 manure) to the depth of about one inch ; they were all treated alike in other respects. 

 The result was, that the first three rows yielded four and a half bushels of sound pota- 

 toes ; all the others, without material variation, yielded three bushels to each three rows ; 

 or about two hundred bushels to the acre for those not top-dressed, and three hundred 

 bushels for the top-dressed rows — a gain of fifty per cent, to the latter. The potatoes 

 were dug in the last week of October. Many entirely rotten ones were found — none 

 partially decayed — no difference could be seen between those ashed and those not 

 ashed. Not an unsound one in the lot at this date, (December 1st.) 



I learn from the above that it will pay to top-dress potatoes — not much else. 



I find that early planted potatoes in this county rotted as much as late planted ones ; 

 that potatoes shaded do not rot as much with some of our farmers as those not shaded ; 

 that Carter potatoes do not rot more than other potatoes, as I think I have the best crop, 

 in the county ; that Mercer potatoes, early and late, were almost a total loss ; and that 

 even the Merinos did not escape the rot here this season. 



BY JAMES B. BALLS, OF WEST POTSDAM, N. T. 



About the first of May I plowed a piece of green-sward, and on the 12tli planted it with 

 potatoes. On four rows I put in each hill a small handful of plaster ; on four rows 

 adjoining, and of the same length, I used no plaster. The difference during the season 

 of growth was plain in favor of the plastered rows, and when dug they yielded six bush- 

 els ; the rows not plastered, two and a half bushels. On the remainder of the piece I 

 applied plaster to the hill at hoeing, and although an improvement, the result was not 

 f.s favorable as when covered with the potatoes at the time of planting. 





