604 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



Yet this is but theory, and may fail in other cases. I once raised 

 a good crop from potatoes of tlie size of my little finger. 



Dr. Waterbury — I look upon potatoes as analagous to hop or 

 grape vines, where we only plant sections of the whole stalk. A 

 potato cut by the hoe scabs over, and is not injured in its eating 

 or growing quality. 



Dr. Peck — I look upon this coal ash theory as an important 

 one, and believe they contain a great deal of very valuable fer- 

 tilizing material. I have thrown such ashes upon grass plots 

 "W'ith great benefit. A friend of mine has grown very fine radishes 

 by the use of anthracite coal ashes. Tlie cost of manuring is a 

 very important question, and ashes cost next to nothing. 



John G. Bergen — As I am an advocate of cutting the seed 

 potato in order to produce the best crop of merchantable potatoes, 

 I take issue with the theory advanced by Professor Nash. It will 

 be recollected that at a former meeting I detailed my experience 

 made three years since, of the results of planting side by side 

 alternate rows of cut and of w^hole potatoes j though the uncut 

 tubers produced the most weight in the new crop, the cut ones 

 produced the largest measure of saleable potatoes. As I cut 

 oftenest in three parts, of course there was a saving of two-thirds 

 of the seed in planting. The starch that feeds at first the new 

 plant, is not lost by cutting the tuber; if it is halved, there is half 

 the starch left to feed half the eyes ; if planted whole, double the 

 number of eyes producing sprouts require to be fed, and hence 

 the proportion is the same. The potato should be cut in a dry 

 atmosphere, with sun or wind to speedily dry up the wound made 

 by the knife. In that case the juices at once dry on tlie surface, 

 and form a sac which is sufficient to protect it frcjm all damage it 

 receives after planting. In opposition to the theory of planting 

 small tubers, I may repeat an experiment which I have before 

 related. I selected, a few years since, from a fine crop of pota- 

 toes, a bushel of the largest, which I kept distinct from the 

 others, and planted them side by side on the following season. 

 The whole were cut in proper size pieces. The plants from the 

 large seed came up first, grew the fastest, matured earliest, and 



