Crop Reports. 



POTATOES. 



To THE Secretary of the Hampshire Agricultural Society. — 

 The following is an account of the experiment with one-eighth acre of 

 potatoes in 1901. The crops of recent years were: 1900, grass and 

 clover; 1899, oats treated with Canada ashes; 1898, corn grown on 

 barn manure. 



This ground was plowed in the spring of 1901 and experiment carried 

 on as nearly as possible to the plan suggested in the premium list, with 

 the following result. Prices 75 and 15 cts. per bushel. 

 Plot 1 , allowing 50 lbs. as eaten by mice. 



Marketable sized 291 lbs., small 53 lbs., value $3.76. 

 Plot 2, " '• 251 •■ " 71 " '• 4.57. 



" 3, " " 296 " " 51 " " 3.82. 



•• 4, " " 336 '• •' 54 " " 4.33 



■• 5, " "- 333 " " 84 " " 4.37 



My conclusion is that nitrate was of little or no benefit and that if 

 potatoes had not been in better demand than usual the elements P & K 

 would have but poorly paid the cost. Yet I think these results would 

 give a better showing for the addition of these plant foods on land not so 

 recently treated with barn manure and ashes or other fertilizers which 

 in this case had left the land in a very good state of fertility. The 

 allowance of 50 lbs. as eaten by mice was calculated by a part of the 

 plot which was dry and weighed before ravage of those ravernous 

 rodents which came to plot 1 , as it bordered a grassy and fenced hiding 

 place, between Aug. 29 and Sept. 11. 



Regretting that none of you, the committee, came near my experi- 

 ments while in progress, I remain 



Yours truly, 



Chas L. Comins, North Hadley. 



