REPOET O^ POTATOa'^.S. 



To the Committee on Crops, Gentlemen: 



I have to report tliat I lind the yiekl on the half atrC of potatoes 

 that I entered for premiums to be ninety-seven bushels. The yield 

 was not as large as it would have have been had not certain poi tious 

 of the piece been affected with rot. In fitting the land in tiie spring 

 I plowed under four or five loads of coarse manure and applied about 

 the same amount to the surfiice after plowing, using a little compost 

 in the hills in planting, makinjr the rows 3 1-2 feet, and hills, near 

 as I could guess, 2 1-2 feet. I think that nothing is gained, at least, 

 unless the land is very rich, in setting the hills nearer than 2 1-2 feet, 

 not but that a greater number of bushels may sometimes be obtained, 

 but what is gained in number will be lost in size of potatoes. 



Now a word about the kind of seed used. In 1878 my potatoes 

 were almost a complete failure. They were "small potatoes and ^aw 

 in a hill," so that I was obliged either to plant such as I had or buy 

 at an extravagant price, and remembering that I had some yc;'.rs ngo 

 experimented in this direction with good success, I decided to pia'jt 

 such as I had. Tlie potatoes planted were quite too small for the 

 market or even to appear on a farmer's table, except in a pressing 

 emergency. The potatoes were cut lengthwise once or twice before 

 planting, dropping but one piece in a hill. You can forni some idea 

 as to the size of the field planted when I inform you that I used but 

 1-2 bushel of seed for the half acre. 



Now while I would by no means be understood as in favor of 

 using the poorest of any crop for Seed, I at the same time claim that 

 my experiments thus far have gone to prove that it may be practised 

 occasionally in the case of potatoes without apparent loss. I should 

 have stated before this that the seed used was Early Rose. 



Now a few words about the rot. I inspected the potatoes the last 

 week in August and found no signs of rot. The next week I found 

 they were rotting — I was afraid, badly. The third week revealed 



