198 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



For the New EiKjland Farmer. 



ON "LARGE AND SMALL POTATOES FOR 

 SEED." 



Mr. Editor : Your correspondent, " Down East," 

 "hopes definite experiments will be made." He 

 asks, to close, " Will the extra produce of large pota- 

 toes be enough more to pay for the difference in the 

 seed ? " The editor justly notices " a very important 

 subject, which is the general effect on the crop, as 

 to improvement or degeneracy." "SVith this expressed 

 solicitude in view, permit me to say, I have made 

 "definite " and accurate experiments, as I hope others 

 ■will do, and report, not from estimation and recol- 

 lection, but from weight and measure of seed and 

 soil, as a matter of record, both at planting and har- 

 vest. From such documents, made year after year, 

 and also others respecting renewing from the balls, 

 I can give the items, if called for in future ; from 

 the results of which I wiU now oifer some of my 

 convictions. 



1. Large potatoes give more vigorous shoots: both 

 top and root are in advance of small ones, and con- 

 tinue decidedly so ; hence, for early table use, are 

 much to be preferred. 



2. By planting them whole, they are croAvded, and, 

 unless the soil is very light, they cannot expand ; 

 and if not very rich, the feebler shoots, from the stem 

 end especially, will, for want of nourishment and 

 room, produce small ones. 



3. Cutting them in halves gives more room, but 

 weak shoots with strong ones, (like a titraan pig in 

 a litter,) must take what they can get which is not 

 always enough ; of course, inequality in size. 



4. Cut from a large potato the largest eyes, and 

 plant three or four in a hill, and we get more from 

 the same weight of seed than in any other way, of 

 large and equal sized tubers ; but not as early as 

 "when the two ends are cut off, leaving the body to 

 nourish three or four central eyes. 



5. There is a difference between a potato small 

 because it was from a feeble shoot, and one small 

 from want of room or time to grow. The latter may 

 do well for seed, but, having nearly as many eyes as 

 a large one, but less vigorous, requires a light soil, 

 that is well pulverized, to expand in, and rich, to 

 furnish nourishment for so many shoots. The hills 

 may be near, but should have only one in each, and 

 delicate culture. 



6. By cutting off from one third to one half of the 

 Stem end, (the best to eat,) we have the finest eyes 

 to plant in the other end, which may bo cut again if 

 large, and give a crop nearly equal to the whole. 

 This is economy, and no deterioration. 



7. By carefully selecting, in the field, at harvest, 

 for seed, hills in which all are large and fair, we are 

 sure of impi'oving out crop, both in quantity and 

 quality. And as surely will the crop degenerate if 

 "we use and sell the best, and plant the refuse. 



8. When seed is dear, and likely to continue so, it 

 is still more desirable to be particular and plant seed 

 that will return the most and the best. 



Yours trulv, 



BENJAMIN WILLARD. 



WiLBRAHAM, Mat/ 31, 1849. 



WHITE RIVER WOOL DEPOT. 



A friend has furnished the following circular, 

 Avhich we publish with pleasure, believing that such 

 enterprises are of general utility, giving concert of 

 action, and tending to a uniformity of prices, and 

 giving a pennanency and constant encouragement to 

 the business of wool-growing. As it has been man- 



aged, some have through necessity, or for want of 

 information, sold their wool at ruinous prices, and 

 abandoned the business. 



The location of this depot is very favorable, being 

 in the heart of an extensive wool-growing region, 

 and at the meeting of the Northern and Passumsic 

 Railroads with the Central, affording excellent facili- 

 ties for travel and transportation. 



Our friend remarks that Mr. WiUard has had ex- 

 tensive experience in the wool business, and is well 

 qualified to manage such an establishment. Excel- 

 lent success has attended the few wool depots already 

 in operation, and the result has been highly satis- 

 factory to those growers who have sold their wool 

 through such agencies. We copy as follows : — 



The encouragement for the directors to open this 

 depot, (with pledges to the amount of about 70,000 

 pounds,) is such that they have seen fit to make all 

 suitable arrangements to open the same, for the re- 

 ception of all grades of wool, on the 25tli of Juno 

 next, at the storehouse of George Lyman, near the 

 mouth of White River, with a desire that sufficient 

 patronage will be given to the enterprise, to make 

 this a permanent location for future operations. All 

 those who anticipate carrying their wool to this 

 establishment, will do well to observe the following 

 directions : Wash your sheep clean ; which is more 

 readily done, by wetting or soaking the flock before 

 washing, or wash them soon after a rain. After 

 washing, the sheep should be put into a clean pas- 

 ture. After this, if the weather is suitable, shear- 

 ing should be done in four or six days. Care should 

 be taken to kce^j the fleeces clean, and do them up 

 in good shape, exjiosing the finest portion of the 

 fleece as much as convenient. Use the common sheep 

 twine, passing it from two to four times round the 

 fleece, drawing the strings sufficientl}' tight to keep 

 it together. 



If you have spring tags, it will be deemed just to 

 put an equal qirantity into each fleece, after cleans- 

 ing the sanre. 



Keep out all unwashed tags and pulled wool. 

 Nothing but merchantable wool should be put into 

 the fleece. It is desirable all wool should be depos- 

 ited by the 10th of Aiigust. The following rules 

 will be strictly observed at the depot : — 



Each depositor, when he brings his wool, will re- 

 ceive a certificate of deposit, stating the number of 

 fleeces, weight, &c. ; and as soon as convenient, he 

 will have a statement furnished him of the grading 

 and condition of the same. All who wish can have 

 liberal advances, by allowing six i>er cent, for the 

 same till the sale of his wool. 



From three to ten fleeces will be opened from each 

 lot, to ascertain the condition. 



The fleeces will be thrown into difl'erent sorts, by 

 an experienced wool-sorter, according to style and 

 quality. He will have no knowledge of the owner- 

 ship of any lot of wool, so that all partiality will be 

 avoided. 



A discrimination will be made between wool in 

 good and bad condition. 



All who desire can have their wool kept separate. 

 Sales will be made invariably for cash. 



The charges will bo for receiving, storing, sorting, 

 and selling, one cent per pound, and about twenty- 

 five cents on one hundred dollars for insurance, pro- 

 viding it does not exceed three months. 



Arrangements have been made with manufacturers, 

 using the diflercnt grades of wool, to purchase the 

 various sorts, at their fair market value, as soon as the 

 dii'cctors and agent may see fit to make a price upon 

 the same. 



Good and sufficient bonds have been furnished by 



