THE POTATO. 171 



The potato-crop, like all others subjected to field- 

 culture, varies much in productiveness. In England, 

 the average, under their common system of farm- 

 ing, is stated to be from 200 to 250 bushels per acre, 

 or from six to eight tons. Thirty-two bushels of 70 

 lbs. each are calculated as a ton ; but heaped meas- 

 ure will sometimes weigh more. In the United 

 States, the average crop cannot be estimated higher 

 than from 175 to 200 bushels to the acre ; a deficien- 

 cy owing to our scanty manuring, late planting, and 

 imperfect cultivation. Perhaps a majority of our 

 farmers do not finish the field-planting of potatoes 

 until,in the month of June ; while in England and 

 Ireland, March and April are the months of planting. 

 The consequence is, that many of our potatoes do 

 not get ripe ; the tops, while in full vigour, are killed 

 by the frost, and watery, imperfect, and indigestible 

 roots are the resuh. That this country is admirably 

 adapted to the growth and perfection of the potato, 

 is evident from the heavy crops that have been pro- 

 duced, where proper care has been given to the cul- 

 tivation. The heaviest crops on record are those 

 grown by Gen. Bamum, of Vermont (see Genesee 

 Farmer, vol. v., p. 19 and 141), which, on a careful 

 estimate, and an average of five pieces, was 1800 

 bushels to an acre ; and he gives it as his opinion, 

 that in good soils, and with his mode of cuUure, from 

 800 to 1000 bushels per acre may be safely calcula- 

 ted upon. From 500 to 700 bushels per acre have 

 been not unfrequently grown by others, as the rec- 

 ords of our agricultural societies testify. Gen. Bar- 

 num's mode, after a thorough preparation of his 

 land, is to plant in drills at the distance of 22 inches, 

 and the sets in the drills 10 inches apart. The earth 

 is hilled around the plants but once during the sea- 

 son, as there is much danger of disturbing the young 

 tubers, or causing the formation of late new ones. 

 But the great secret of his crops consists in bringing 

 rich fresh earth, the scrapings of ditches or streets, 



