No. 4.] MOW ENGLAND ACiRlClILTURK. 91 



been rediieed, until in the great majority of eases the supply 

 of the family has been the measure of the croj). To-day all 

 this is ehanged. The i)otato planter, the high-j)ressurc power 

 sprayer and })otato digger are eoming to be eonsidered neces- 

 sary agents, and men arc finding that from five to ten acres 

 can be produced with machinery at as little cost as one-half 

 acre by hand. 



A few years ago the cry was going up from the press, all 

 over the country, of the passing of the potato. Insecticides 

 had been continued for years, composed chiefly of Paris 

 green and carrying a large })er cent of arsenic, until by their 

 use the reproductive power of the potato had been weakened 

 to such a degree that the development of the seed boll had 

 been lost, and the per cent of starch greatly reduced. This 

 was the situation throughout Maine, and I assume it was the 

 same all over New England, Avhen bold spirits called atten- 

 tion to the danger of this active poison, and made a plea for 

 the use of asfents harmless to the user, but elfectual in 

 destroying insect life and promotive of the best life and 

 growth of the plant ; the result being that a new era has 

 dawned upon the potato grower, and all over eastern New 

 England to-day cellars are filled with a bountiful crop, where 

 non-poisonous insecticides have been used and spraying con- 

 tinued tlu'oughout the season. 



Rust and blight have been the great enemies of our potato 

 crop, but scientific investigation gave us Bordeaux mixture, 

 and to-day the grower may be, by this effective compound, 

 insured against the ravao-es of these two funo-ous diseases. 



A few years ago the hand sprinkler, the shaker or bag, or 

 later the low-pressure hand spraj^er, furnished the only 

 means of application, and gave little or no relief except from 

 the insect pests. To-day we have the high-pressure power 

 spra} er, covering one acre per hour, providing for the appli- 

 cation of both the insecticide and fungicide in the most 

 thorough manner to every part of every leaf or stalk ; and 

 with this machine the farmer may snap his fingers at insects 

 and fungous diseases. 



So rapid has been the march of progress that we are con- 

 tinually being startled l>y what men are doing in the produc- 



