PROCEEniNGS OF THE FARMERS' C'LUB. 793 



in his instructions. A boy must be something more than a drudge. 

 The home must be made pleasant and the labor lightened with good 

 cheer, variety, and the sunshine of gratified ambition. 



Sumac. 



Mr. L. Casson, Alexandria, La,, would know the characteristics of 

 the variety useful in tanning. 



Mr. J. B. Lyman. — It seldom attains a height of over twelve or fif- 

 teen feet ; grows on rocky soils in the northern States, though it does 

 not require such habitat. It splits easily ; has a pith that is easily 

 removed ; the sap wood is white, but nearer the heart is of a pecu- 

 liar greenish yellow, and emits for a long time after being cut a 

 sweetish and rather pleasant odor. It has cone-like bunches of ber- 

 ries or seeds, that are covered with a scarlet down. These remain on 

 the stem long after frost, and have the efiiect of a scarlet flower. 

 The wood is much used for sap spouts, as by removing the pith a 

 good tube is obtained. Its commercial value is in the tannic acid 

 which the leaves and stems contain ; and there is much more of this 

 in July, or in a hot country, than when it is cool. 



Cutting Potatoes for Planting. 



Mr. F, Gleason, Schenevus, Ostego county, N. Y. — I have been 

 testing the relative merits of cutting potatoes and planting whole. 

 I have planted some that were cut several days before planting, 

 some cut the day of planting, and planted some whole. Those 

 whi-ch were cut several days before were the poorest ; tliose planted 

 whole were the best. They yielded, for the same number of hills, 

 about one-third more than those cut days before planting ; those from 

 seed cut on the day of planting, about half way between the first and 

 the whole potato. 



Mr. Adrian Bergen. — I have studied the subject of cutting potatoes. 

 Potatoes have a number of eyes ; every eye will produce a sprout. If 

 we plant the whole potato we have too many vines. I prefer to cut 

 them in two or three pieces, and then, if any of the pieces have more 

 than one eye, I cut all out but one. I think it is a disadvantage to 

 cut the potatoes a day or two in advance of planting ; in fact, I think 

 it would be somewhat of an injur}-. 



Mr. H. L. Reade. — I have cultivated potatoes for about fifteen 

 years, and have been reasonably successful. When we dig our pota- 

 toes, we sort them into tliree piles ; largest for market, next for home 



