91 



ground contains one hundred and eighteen rods, was manured 

 the first week in May with three cords of barn yard manure, 

 ploughed seven inches deep, harrowed with an iron tooth har- 

 row and brushed twice over with a brush harrow, drilled three 

 feet apart and planted with three barrels of Harrison potatoes. 

 The seed potatoes were cut, and two small pieces, or one large 

 piece put in a hill. The expense of cultivating, as near as I 

 can estimate, was : 



For hauling and spreading manure, $3,00 



Ploughing, harrowing and drilling, 4,00 



Planting $1.50, cultivating and hoeing twice, $5, 6,50 



Harvesting, 10,00 



$23,50 



From some cause, perhaps owing to the drought in July and 

 August, the tubers formed on the joints of the vines, thus re- 

 ducing the crop considerably. The hills, where the potatoes 

 formed on the vines, outside of the hills, did not yield more 

 than half as much as the hills where the potatoes formed in- 

 side. The potatoes weighed 18,172 pounds, at sixty pounds 

 to the bushel, there is three hundred and two bushels and fifty- 

 two pounds. 



STATEMENT OF H. L. LONGFELLOW. 



To the Committee on Root Crops : 



Gentlemen : The lot of land on which I raised the potatoes, 

 offered for premium, falls short of the half acre required by 

 the rules of the Society, the whole lot measuring but sixty -five 

 rods. But since you have taken the trouble to view the crops 

 I feel in duty bound to give you the result of the experiment. 



The land was broken up in June, 1868, and sowed with Ku- 

 ta Baga, manured with ten loads of compost, thirty bushels to 

 the load. For the present crop, fifteen loads, (thirty bushels 

 to the load) of barn yard manure spread broadcast and plough- 

 ed six inches deep, furrowed three feet apart and planted the 



