No. 8. 



Potatoes afid Smyrna Wheat. 



117 



can be able to treat all the various objects 

 connected with agriculture, or which are 

 hinted at above, successfully ; but there are 

 few, if any, of practical or scientific readers, 

 who are notable to communicate much infor- 

 mation on sonje one or more of these topics, 

 or otliers that we have been compelled to 

 omit, which would be of great utility to our 

 farmers, and impart additional value and use- 

 fulness to our columns. We know farmers feel 

 a reluctance to lay down the plough for the pen, 

 but when the season prohibits the use of the 

 former, considerations of public good, should 

 induce them to occasionally use the latter, in 

 communicating the results of their reflection 

 and experience in the pursuit of agriculture. 

 We respectfully request our former corres- 

 pondents, and our new subscribers, to think of 

 these things. — Genesee Farmer. 



Potatoes and Smyrna "tVbeat. 



To the Committee on Agricultural Products 

 presented for the several premiums offered 

 by the Trustees of the Massachusetts Agri- 

 cultural Society : 



Gentlemen, — The field on which Potatoes 

 were grown the present season, was broke up 

 in August, 1834. The soil a deep loam, 

 suitable for grain, (Chesnut land.) Early 

 last spring the field was cross-ploughed, and 

 18 cords unfermented manure, evenly spread, 

 and deeply ploughed in ; sods harrowed down, 

 then furrowed 3 feet apart, and seed placed 

 18 inches apart in the furrows, and covered 

 2 inches deep; hoed twice previous to being 

 in the bud. On the 6tli October, the vines 

 or tops generally covering the ground, the 

 cutting of them for fodder commenced. These 

 tops, after drying 6 or 8 days, were packed 

 away in the barn with wheat straw sprinkled 

 with salt, say one peck to the ton, and will 

 probably be equal in value to one half a ton 

 of hay. It is believed, that when hay is as 

 scarce as it is in this vicinity the present 

 season, say worth $20 per ton, potatoe tops 

 will more than pay for the expense of cutting 

 and curing them ; they are good food for neat 

 cattle. The harvesting the roots was com- 

 pleted Oct. 12th, when, by careful measure- 

 ment, the crop was found to be 515 bushels 

 on the acre. The quantity of seed was 28 

 bushels ; 26 the reds of La Plate, 2 the Rox- 

 bury whites. 



Payson Williams, 

 Jackson D. Williams. 

 Fitchburg, Oct. 15, 1325. 



Worcester ss. Oct, 16, 1835. Then the 

 above-named Payson Williams and Jackson 

 D. Williams made oath that the above state- 

 ment, by them severally subscribed is true. 

 Before me, Eben'r. Torrey, J. P. 



Expenses of Potatoe Crops. 

 Breaking up the field, $4 00 

 Carting manure, 5 00 

 Cross ploughing and ploughing in ma- 

 nure, 6 00 

 Its proportion of 18 cords manure, 20 00 

 28 bushels seed at 2s. 9 33 

 Labor in two hoeings, 8 00 

 Labor in harvesting the crop, 22 00 

 Labor in cutting and curing the tops, 3 00 



515 bushels at 25c. $128 75 

 Tops, 10 00 



$77 33 



$138 75. Profit, $68 42 

 Expenses of Wheat Crop. 

 2\ bushels seed, $4 50 



Two ploughings, 5 00 



Bushing and rolling, 1 00 



Its proportion of manure in 1834, 15 00 

 Cradlingand threshing and cleaning up, 12 00 



35 bushels, worth $70 00 

 Straw, 10 00 



$37 50 



$80 00. Profit, $42 00 

 The field on which potatoes were grown 

 in 1824 was well ploughed as early in the 

 following spring as practicable, and 2i bushels 

 of the Smyrna or Black Sea Wheat was 

 sown, (second week in May, 1835,) ploughed 

 in, bushed, and rolled. 



Crops harvested first week in August; 

 threshed (by horse power) in September, and 

 after being carefully cleaned and measured,, 

 was found to be 35 bushels (of 60 pounds to 

 the bushel) from the acre. 



A much larger crop would have been 

 grown but for the incumbrance of a granite 

 ledge pervading a considerable part of the 

 field, many rods of which approach within six 

 inches of the surface. The drought of last 

 summei" severely pinched the wheat on the 

 ledge. 



Payson Williams, 

 Jackson D. Williams. 



Fitchburg, Oct. 15,1835. 



Worcester ss. Oct. 16, 1835. Then the 

 above named Payson Williams and Jackson 

 D. Williams made oath that the foregoing 

 statements, by them severally subscribed are 

 true. Before me, 



Eben'er Torrey, J. P. 



Every nation has its traits. The Spaniard 

 sleeps on every affair of importance; the 

 Italian fiddles on everything; the French 

 promise every thing ; the British islanders 

 eat upon every thing; and the Americans 

 talk upon every thing. 



