MANLKES FOK POTATOES. 261 



" Potatoes," says Mr. Hunter, " were hirgclj'- growu on the farm, 

 and in the absence of a suIBcieney of farni-yurcl manure, potash 

 naturally suggested itsdf is a necessary constituent of a chemical 

 potato-manure. The soil was light and gravelly, with an open 

 subsoil, and the rainfall from 29 to 38 inches a year." 



Tiie first .>^eries of experiments was made in 18G7. The follow- 

 ing are some of the results : — 



Bushels per acre. 



No manure 2:il 



4 cwl. mineral 6Uj)erphospliate 225 



4 ewt. mineral suporphosphatc and | ,^t^ 



4 cwt. of uiuriatf of potash \ "'^ 



154 tons farm-yard manure 293 



"That does not say mueli for potash r.nd superphosphate," said 

 the Deacon. " The superphosphate only produced four bushels 

 more than the no manure, and the ptuash and superphosphate 

 only fifteen bushels more than the superphosphate alone." 



It may be worth while mentioning that one of the experimental 

 plots this year was on a head-land, " where the cattle frcriuently 

 stand tor shelter." This plot was dressed with only eight and a 

 half tons of manure, and the crop was over 427 bushels per acre, 

 while a plot alongside, without manure, produced only 163 bushels 

 per acre. 



" That shows the importance." said the Deacon, " of planting 

 potatoes on rich land, rather than to plant on poor land and try to 

 make it rich by applying manure directly to the crop." 



The following are some of the results in 1868 : 



Bus f I el X per acre. 

 1. No manure 232 



( 4 cwt. superphosphate | 



2. -I 2 " muriate of potash [-340 



(2 " sulphate of ammonia ) 



3 . 20 tons farm yard manure 342 



. ( 4 cwt. superphosphate | 274 



*• I 4 " muriate of potash j 



"Here again," said the Doctor, "superphosphate and potash 

 alone give an increas? of only forty-two bushels per acre, while on 

 plot 2, where two hundre 1 weight of muriate of potash is substi- 

 tuted by two hundre 1 weight of sulpliatc of ammonia, the increase 

 is 108 busliels per acre. It certainly looks as thcmgh a manure for 

 potato 's, so far as yield is concerned, should be rich in available 

 nitrogen." 



