586 Transactions of the American Institute. 



Planting Potatoes. 



Mr. K. G. Percy, I^ewark, "Wayne county, jST. Y. — I see in one of 

 the reports of the Farmers' Club, a statement by Mr. A. S. Pul- 

 ler, that, as a general thinoj, six times as much seed is used as is 

 necessary or desirable. Why, Mr. Chairman, sixteen or eighteen 

 bushels used to be the allowance for an acre of potatoes. Now, I 

 suppose, the Club desire facts instead of opinions, and as I can give 

 them two facts, they may be of value to future potato growers. About 

 ten years ago I planted two rows of forty-eight hills each, of the 

 varieties known as English Whites and Irish Grays, selecting the 

 largest size in one row, and choosing those of the size of a butternut 

 for the other, the culture and strength of the soil as near alike as 

 could be desired. !N'ow for the result : The large ones produced 

 three and one-eighth of a bushel, the small one produced one and 

 seven-eighths of a bushel. 



As there is 4,182 hills in an acre, planted three by three and a half 

 feet, the large ones would have produced 273 bushels per acre, and 

 the small ones only 163 bushels, a difference of 110 bushels per acre. 

 Another fact was, that the large seed produced vines from each potato 

 planted, from four to thirty-two that arose from below the surface of 

 the ground, which was a sandy and gravelly loam, whereas the small 

 seed produced from two to eight vines. 



2d. This year of grace, 1869, my son planted the Early Kose about 

 the 20th of April, cut in pieces of one and two eyes, and put two 

 pieces in a hill ; yield, 100 bushels from seventy rods of ground. 

 At the same time and on the same day I planted the Early Good- 

 rich, by cutting off both the stem and seed ends, and planting 

 the middle of the potato ; where long, I cut them in two so as to 

 make the sets of as equal a size as possible, and they produced 170 

 bushels, on little less than seventy rods of ground. Now, according 

 to Mr. Fuller's opinions, the yield of the Early Rose should have been 

 much the largest, because I planted at least four times as much 



That any person can grow more bushels of potatoes from one that 

 is cut fine, and spread over a large space, is readily admitted, but 

 that has nothing to do with the largest yield per acre ; and where 

 land is as dear as it is in the vicinity of New York, and other large 

 cities, I am of the opinion that potato growers make a great mistake 

 in using a small quantity of seed, as compared with a more liberal 

 supply. 



