.-55 



1)ANIEL BURNHAM'S STATEMENT. 



To the Committee of the Essex Agricultural Society ^ on Experi- 

 ments in the raising of Potatoes. 

 Gentlemen — I ofier for your inspection twelve sorts of Potatoes, 

 the second season from the seed of the balls. As I have found no 

 cause for amending my process of cultivation, and as I have repeat- 

 ed it, and you have it on record, I thought it useless to recapitulate 

 it. No. ], is excellent, its fair product has been a bushel, to seven 

 hills. No, 2 is at full maturity 25th July — its quality is quite good, 

 and for an early potatoe, is an abundant bearer. — No«. 3, 4 and 5 

 are ripe from the 10th to the 25th of August — their quality is good — 

 in no previous year have I succeeded so well in obtaining early 

 sorts. — No. 6, is very delicate, but not prolific. No. 7 is good, and 

 a middling bearer. No. 8 is a good bearer, but rather inferior in 

 quality. Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12, I should not introduce to your no- 

 tice, but to comply with the requisition — I have no value for them. 

 Last year I gave it as my opinion, from a number of years experi- 

 ence, that it was useless to reserve the product of the first season, 

 unless it bore some distinct mark of promise — this year I am fully 

 confirmed in that opinion — I should not put by for future planting 

 the fruit of a plant, unless the largest was at least, as large as a 

 pigeon's eggy and not then, if the small ones were numerous. I 

 have invariably found, that when the small ones were many, that I 

 could not, by repeated plantings, draw them from this propensity. 

 As there hsj been complaint that the seed of the balls, does not 

 readily vegeticC, perhaps it may be of some service to say that it is 

 quite neces;: ary, that the ground in which it is sown, should be 

 very well pulverized — if it is not, there is danger, (the seed is so 

 small,) that it will not come in contact with the ground, bo as to 

 vegetate. It is well to sow the seed in shoal drills, and when cov- 

 ered to press or roll it down. I will likewise say that this season I 

 sowed the seed of 1823, and it appeared to take as well as the seed 

 of the last year. I observed to the Committee the last Autumn, 

 that with me, the fruit of the plants, inclined to take the shape, 

 and the shade of those from which the balls were taken — I find that 

 it does the same this season, and as the round white potatoe is the 

 most popular, is it not best to seek th© balls from the largest and 

 best, of this shape and colour. 



