No. 144.] 343 



From observations this year lie is satisfied that dry seasons, 

 with late rains in moderate quantities, are best for potatoes, be- 

 cause the roots that take up the pabulum lie close to the surface. 

 He is in favor of planting large whole potatoes upon deeply 

 ploughed land, but near the surface and cultivated level. Never 

 hill your potatoes. All the manuring should be of top-dressing, 

 or lightly incorporating the fertilizers with the surface soil. The 

 great thing for potatoes is potash and carbon. It is a good plan 

 to mulch the land deeply after the potatoes are planted, and 

 never do anything more to them. For seed potatoes add more 

 mulching, and let them remain in the hills until spring. Good 

 crops of potatoes have been grown under swingletow, upon a 

 grass sod. 



Professor Mapes remarked that the potato roots do not enter 

 the soil deeply, and, therefore, in dry seasons often flourish well 

 in land not deeply ploughed, the pabulum not being sufficiently 

 divided by moisture to sink below the range of their roots; and 

 such soils as contain the largest amount of carbonaceous matter 

 produce the best potatoes in all seasons, from the power of car- 

 bon to receive and retain ammonia from the atmosphere and de- 

 caying matters, while the presence of large portions of organic 

 matter, by their decay, furnish potash, and for this reason, one of 

 the cultivators on the Newark meadows, which are formed of 

 black, carbonaceous soil, usually known as black muck, has, for 

 many years, raised 500 bushels to the acre. 



The subject of selling every kind of farm produce by weight 

 was then discussed, and seemed to meet with general approval. 



Mr. Solon Robinson said he wanted no better argument than 

 these big potatoes, because there would be no fair honest way of 

 measuring such tubers. A single potatoe kept off the measure 

 would be a loss of several cents to the purchaser. Some persons 

 would buy small potatoes in preference, thinking that they would 

 get more food, owing to the large interstices between the tubers. 

 That, however, is a great mistake. There is no rule so fair as 

 weight for every thing, particularly eggs and wood. How can 

 you sell cabbage, beets, carrots, parsnips, and many other coarse 

 vegetables, honestly, in any other way 1 



