Ill 



Every farmer should step out of the old ruts of habit, and by 

 his own experiments inform himself, if there are not some im- 

 provements he can make in conducting his future operations in 

 farming. The information prized the most by all is that which 

 is acquired in our daily practice. In conducting any new ex- 

 periment, if the cost is more than the product, that experiment 

 is a failure, so far as being adapted to the wants of the mass of 

 farmers : but, wliile thus unsuccessful the keen eyed and ob- 

 servant man, may have acquired information, that in repeating 

 his experiment, may insure complete success, and bring the 

 balance on the right side of the ledgei-. No one should be dis- 

 couraged in the first time trying any new idea, although that 

 trial may be a failure. It is only by persistence and deter- 

 mined effort any great inventor achieves success. So the far- 

 mer, can only by careful investigation into the causes of suc- 

 cess, or failure, insure the first, or guard against the repetition 

 of the other. 



For the purpose of determining for my own satisfaction the 

 comparative value of stable manure, Stockbridge and Bradley's 

 Fertilizers for potatoes, and at the same time testing as far as 

 one season's trial could test, the difference between seeding with 

 one small whole potatoe, a large one cut to two eyes and plant- 

 ed the same distance apart in the rows. While thus conduct- 

 ing the above experiments a third which I have tried success- 

 fully for two years of following with a second crop of vegeta- 

 bles to occupy the land after the potatoes were fully grown. 



The piece of land on which the experiments were conducted 

 is rather a light loam with a very porous subsoil. It was 

 plowed the second week in May, manured and then furrowed 

 in rows 5 feet apart. The first 10 rows had stable manure 

 spread and plowed in at the rate of 6 cords to the acre. Five 

 rows were planted with small whole potatoes, and 5 with pieces 

 of 2 eyes and both dropped 15 inches apart in the rows. The 

 second 10 rows had Stockbridge's manure for potatoes scattered 

 in the drills at the rate of 500 lbs. to the acre, and well mixed 

 with the soil. The potatoes 2 eyes to a piece were dropped 15 



