21 



REPORT ON POTATOES. 



The half acre of potatoes I entered for the society's premiums was 

 grown on a rather light loam with a gravelly subsoil, which last year 

 produced only sorrel and an occasional white weed. It was plowed 

 April 25, harrowed thoroughly with Acme harrow, furrowed with two- 

 horse plow, six inches deep, rows 38 inches apart. Dropped halves of 

 small potatoes, two to four ounces, Early Maine, 18 inches apart, and 

 covered with hand hoes two inches deep. May 8, spread stable manure 

 at the rate of five cords to the acre in the rows May 10, harrowed 

 lengthwise of furrows with Acme harrow lapping half. May 23, 

 harrowed crosswise with Acme harrow, also lapping half. I had 

 thus, on May 28, a thoroughly clean level plot, with perfect rows of 

 potatoes growing in a deep mellow bed. The only after cultivation they 

 needed or got was one cultivating and one horse hoeing, which left them 

 in low wide hills ; and about an hours work pulling out the few weeds 

 that had escaped the harrow and cultivator. Of course we had to fight 

 the bugs. The season was not favorable to this kind of land ; neverthe- 

 less I secured a fair crop. An average rod, dug for your committee, 

 yielded 108 pounds, almost all marketable. This is at the rate of 288 

 bushels to the acre. From this, I estimate the cost and yield of the 

 half- acre as follows : 



Plowing $1, harrowing 50 cents, m.arking and furrowing $1.25, seed 

 five bushels at 30 cents $1.50, plantnig $1.50, two and one-half cords 

 manure, $12.50, drawing and applying $2.50, Harrowing 50 cents, cross- 

 harrowing 50 cents, cultivating and horse-hoeing $1, plaster and paris 

 green 75 cents, applying 50 cents, digging $7. Total cost $31. Value 

 of crop 144 bushels at 40 cents $57.60. Profit $26.60. As soon as 

 the potatoes were dug Aug. 21 , 1 plowed the land, harrowed with the 

 Acme harrow, and sowed clover and grass seed and now there is good 

 promise of two tons to the acre next year. 



J. C. Dillon. 



REPORT ON ONIONS. 



The land on which this crop grew is a heavy loam, it having produced 

 onions for the past three years. The land was plowed in October, and 



