ESSEX SOCIETY. 29 



too light for this crop. I harrow all my ground with a heavy 

 iron-tooth harrow, only a day or two before I furrow ; I fur- 

 row both ways, at a distance that a plough can pass each 

 way. I think many people err by having too many hills, 

 as well as too much seed in the hill. I commonly plough 

 about six inches deep, lowland less ; I put all my manure in 

 the hill, one shovel full to the hill. I prefer at least one half 

 such as has been made in my barn yard during summer. I cart 

 it out in the fall in heaps, according to the field where it is to 

 be used, and level the loads to make the heap fiat. I like to 

 cart out my winter manure as early in the spring as I can, and 

 tip it on top of the other. I never disturb it until I fill it to 

 put in the hill, minding to mix it well then. To my certain 

 knowledge, there has not been one heap of manure forked over 

 on my farm for forty years, and I believe my crops are as good 

 as others in my vicinity. I know some will say that this ma- 

 nure has lost all its strength, and is about worthless ; but strange 

 to tell, it makes my potatoes grow well. I know the motto now 

 is, to cultivate but little land and manure high ; but I am con- 

 fident that is not the best way for potatoes ; they do not 

 need so much manure, nor that of the strongest kind. As for 

 medicines they need none, and all that is applied to them I con- 

 sider as quackery in the extreme. 



I will here make a few remarks concerning the rot in pota- 

 toes. As to the great cause, or why it so differs from that of 

 former years, I believe no man can solve ; but I do believe 

 some preventives may be practised by most farmers, with but 

 little inconvenience and no expense. I always did think, and 

 do now, that the weather has much to do about it ; and I 

 should think the result of the two last seasons was sufficient 

 to convince any man of this. Much depends on the seed, 

 those being best that are hardy and vigorous by nature. With 

 my mode of planting, I have succeeded with old degenerated 

 kinds, to that degree that the price obtained has more than 

 remunerated my losses. But with my seedlings, called the 

 Danvers Reds, my success has been complete. Not a little, in 

 my opinion, depends on the manure. I think mud a bad in- 

 gredient, particulary when worked over by hogs, or any other 



