Proceedings of the Farmers^ Club. 445 



Mr. Wm. S. Carpenter. — When gypsum can be had, the best 

 way is to mix the manure with it. Land plaster or gypsum is, of 

 itself, a powerful fertilizer. It increased my potato crop twenty- 

 five per cent. 



POTATOES. 



Mr. E. Williams, Montclair, N. J., read the following paper on 

 the varieties of the potato, and some hints on potato culture. 



The frequent and repeated failure of the potato crop from dis- 

 ease, for the past few years, has induced many cultivators to pay 

 more attention to this valuable esculent then formerly. This is 

 apparent from the number of new seedlings, and the re-naming of 

 old ones that frequently make their appearance, the various theo- 

 ries and speculations as to the cause of disease, the remedies there- 

 for, the invaluable secrets and patent processes by which, for a 

 consideration of one thousand dollars, more or less, the grower can 

 obtain the knowledge of a remedy that will prove infallible. These, 

 Avith the frequent calls for information in regard to varieties and 

 methods of potato growing, has induced me to write out in a very 

 brief and desultory manner, the method I have adopted and prac- 

 ticed for the past few years, the results of which have been quite 

 satisfactory. 



I shall not indulge in theories and speculations as to the cause 

 and cure of disease, but may state a few facts and observations that 

 led me to adopt the methods I shall detail to you, and which I call 

 " my experience in potato growing." 



I lay no claim to its being the best in practice; neither do I set 

 myself up as a teacher presuming to know it all. 



I am ever ready to learn of others, and hope they will give us 

 their experience, that we may all be benefited, and thus contribute 

 to the fund of the best general in the land — " General Information." 



My practical experience with potatoes is confined Avithin the p;ist 

 ten years. During this time I have experimented considerably 

 with varieties and modes of culture, the results of which I have 

 hastily embodied in the following brief paper. 



1. The seed and its p'e2Mration. — If you were to see a farmer 

 save his corn nubbins for seed, or select the meanest and most 

 mdifferent specimens of horse, cow or swine, from which to perpet- 

 uate his stock, you would doubtless at once set him down as a fool. 

 Let us hope this practice is not prevalent; yet many otherwise 

 intelligent farmers act about as sensible in their potato growing, 

 for they insist year after year in selecting small seed, and then won- 



