552 



NEW ENGLAND FAIiMER. 



Dec. 



in such a manner that the outer ones serve as 

 keys against the walls or sides of the drain. This 

 precaution is necessary to prevent the falling of the 

 mass of stones in case of washing or being under- 

 mined. After thus arranging the first layer of 

 stones, I then (rather carefully) hand-pack a layer 

 of smaller stones to the depth of 8 or 10 inches, 

 then larger stones may be used, after which a coat 

 of coarse gravel, (screened is preferable) then a 

 layer of evergreen brush, before filling with earth. 

 Particular attention should be paid to the mouth or 

 lower ends of drains, as the effect produced by 

 negligence at this point is attended with serious 

 consequences, and the object for which the drain 

 was intended unattained. Canadian. 



Brighton, 1857. Rural JVew-Yorker. 



For the Neio England Farmer. 



SMALL POTATO EXPEEIMEHT. 



Mr. Editor : — It is considered a point beyond 

 dispute, that fully matured seeds of all kinds are 

 better, and more certain to produce good results, 

 than seeds not fully matured. Is this the/act^ Is 

 there not a point short of full maturity, at which, 

 if seed be gathered, better results may be obtained 

 than from fully matured seeds? There are some 

 facts that would seem to favor such an hypothesis. 

 Mr. A. informs me that last year he obtained a new 

 variety of sweet corn, but at so late a date that he 

 had but little hope, if he planted that season, he 

 should be able to test its value ; he planted it, but 

 the frost came while the corn was yet "in milk." 

 Unwilling to lose the seed, he gathered a few ears, 

 dried them in the sun, and this spring planted 

 them ; much to his surprise every kernel came up, 

 and he had as fine a field of corn as he ever saw, 

 early, large and full. 



Mr. B., celebrated here for his fine and very 

 early sweet corn, always gathers his corn for seed 

 while it is "in milk," and never fails to have good 

 crops. 



For many years I have been in the habit of look- 

 ing over agricultural papers, and have noticed the 

 various statements made in relation to large and 

 small potatoes, and the very dissimilar results of 

 experiments made with them. It occurred to me, 

 that the size of the potato had less to do with the 

 success of the experiment, than the state of matu- 

 rity to which it had arrived, and that it was only 

 from tmmatw-ed seed that satisfactory results had 

 been obtained, when a small potato experiment had 

 resulted favorably. 



To test this, on the 28th of July, 1856, 1 planted 

 20 to 30 hills of potatoes, with such seed of the 

 crop of 1855 as could be found in my cellar at so 

 late a date. The seed was very poor, very small, 

 and of various kinds; Dovers, Danvers Seedlings, 

 Long Reds, Chenangoes and English Whites ; a 

 little manure was put in each hill — and they were 

 hoed once. About the 10th of October they were 

 dug ; and the product was 9 pounds of very small 

 unripe potatoes, from the size of a hickory nut to 

 the size of a i)ea. [If one wishes to judge of the 

 size, let them first select about 150 potatoes of the 

 size of a hickory nut, and then find 650 others so 

 small that the whole 800 potatoes shall weigh but 

 9 pounds.] These were carefully put aside, and at 

 the usual lime this spring were planted ; the soil 

 a light, sandy loam j potatoes had been grown on 



the same spot for two years previous, manure spread 

 on, and plowed in ; no extra manure, and no extra 

 labor on account of the experiment. The land 

 measured 30 by 40 feet, and the potatoes were 

 planted so as to make 190 to 200 hills — an aver- 

 age of 4 potatoes being put in each hill. Tiie man 

 who planted them was very unwilling to do it. — 

 " 'Tis the most foolish experiment I ever heard 

 of, planting s^ich potatoes as these, and expect- 

 ing to get anything from them ; 'tis a waste of 

 time as well as land; you had better throw them 

 away, and plant something that will come to some- 

 thing. You wont get so many as you plant, and 

 these ha'nt good for nothing," was his observa- 

 ion, when told to plant them. The work was 

 done, however, the potatoes grew, matured, and 

 were dug the last of September. Th^ result as 

 follows : — 



I could not find enough potatoes of the size 

 planted to make up the amount used for seed, but 

 put in larger to make up the sum ; so, say. 



Potatoes of same size as seeds 9 lbs. 



Potatoes 5 of an inch to 1 inch in diameter 30 lbs. 



Good sized planting potatoes, such as are usually 



kept for seed 23 lb3. 



Potatoes of full size, handsome, well grown, better 



than the average seen in the market 311 lbs. 



Total , .375 lbs. 



Being 6^ bushels, and at the rate of 226J bush- 

 els to the acre — 60 pounds to the bushel. I ob- 

 served that all the old seed that I found was still 

 fresh and hard, and in some cases, could hardly be 

 distinguished from the new potatoes. 



There has been but little of the potato rot in this 

 neighborhood. — a few rotten ones are found in al- 

 most every field — in this patch one, and one only, 

 was found, and that a Dover. The kinds that did 

 best were Dovers and Long Reds. Ten potatoes 

 taken without particular selection, from among the 

 largest, weighed 7| pounds, or | pounds each. 



Such is the result of my experiment. If you 

 think it of any value it is at your service. 



Very respectfully, Robert Rhodes. 



Fairmount, Paiotuxet, R. I., October, 1857. 



For the New England Farmer. 



HAKVESTI2JG GOEN. 



Mr. Editor : — As I wandered along the banks 

 of the charming Merrimack, which, say what you 

 please of them, are as beautiful, and worthy to be 

 puffed in story or in song as those of the more cele- 

 brated Rhine, I saw the sturdy farmers gathering 

 in their corn. What struck me as peculiar, they 

 had their carts standing in the field, and their bas- 

 kets in hand, and were stripping the husks from the 

 ears as they stood upon the hills. I learned from 

 one of the proprietors of these fields, that his men 

 would thus gather fifty bushels of ears each, daily, 

 thus clearing an acre of full grown corn in a day 

 by the labor of three men and a yoke of oxen 

 How much longer it takes to gather the butts, the 

 husks, and the stalks, and what is their comparative 

 value when then gathered, I am not advised, but 

 guess, as every Yankee is entitled to, that if you 

 would have the corn fodder in most valuable con 

 dition, you will cut it even with the ground, and 

 stand it up in the field, until the corn is so well 

 seasoned and cured, that it may with safety be ta- 

 ken to the barn, and there husked at convenient 

 opportunity. * 



