Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 355 



fiercer potatoes. 



Mr. Wm. Lawton. — I would like to make a few remarks on the 

 Mercer potato. Hazard's Register says it originated in Mercer 

 county, Pa., in 1833. Every plant has life of its own, and there 

 never can be any change. No two are alike, and the peculiarities 

 of each are carried on forever. 



Dr. J. E. Snodgrass. — Nothing is more certain than that to 

 manui'e potatoes has a tendency to produce rot, and to destroy the 

 original flavor, if not the quality. 



Mr. T. P. Quinn. — As a practical grower of potatoes, I will say 

 that it will not pa}'^ to raise the Mercer. It never produces more 

 than 150 bushels to the acre, while of the early Goodrich I have 

 raised over 300 bushels. I can raise the Harison, at fifty cents a 

 bushel, cheaper than I can the Mercer at one dollar and fifty cents. 



Dr. Isaac P. Trimble. — In the best farming regions the Mercer 

 is no longer grown. It has degenerated through using small seed, 

 and some are going to restore it by planting large seed. Where 

 marl can be had, the potato rot is to a great extent unknown. 



Monroe's rotary harrow. 

 Mr. H. Monroe, Rockland, Me., was invited to take the floor, to 

 explain the merits of his rotary harrow, a small model of which 

 he exhibited to the Club. The teeth of this harrow are secured 

 in wooden arms, bolted together at the center. An iron circular 

 way is bolted to the ends of the arms. The implement is drawn 

 by a beam extending across the top of the frame; and the beam is 

 secured by a loose bolt to the center of the frame. When the 

 team is in motion, the harrow rotates round and round, in a hori. 

 zontal direction. One side of the harrow is loaded with an iron 

 wheel, which travels on the circular way, that is bolted to the ends 

 of the arms. The iron wheel weighs some thirty pounds. The 

 object of the wheel is to give increased weight to one side of the 

 harrow. By making one side heavier than the other, the teeth on 

 that side are pressed deeper into the ground than the teeth on the 

 opposite side. Then, as the draft beam turns easily on a round 

 and smooth bolt at the center, the harrow rotates as soon as the 

 team is started. By changing the traveling wheel to the opposite 

 side of the harrow, the implement will rotate in the opposite direc- 

 tion. By this means the forward teeth can be made to rotate on 

 sod ground just plowed, in the direction to turn the furrow slices 

 over more completely, or to turn them back again with the grass 



