204 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



A LONG ISLAND CROP OF POTATOES. 



John G. Bergen made the following report of a crop of pota- 

 toes grown this year upon his farm on the bay shore of Long 

 Island. It is worthy of especial notice for its exactness and reli- 

 ability. Mr. Bergen stated that this report shows the general 

 practice and results of potato grooving on Long Island : 



Statement of result of planting seven acres of potatoes — expense — 

 mode of cultivation — crop — marketing and proceeds, gross and net. 



Location, Eighth ward, Brooklyn. Soil sandy, sandy loam, 

 loam, clay loam, clay and gravel, with all shades of admixture. 

 Land all manured before plowing with a broadcast application 

 of either New York city street manure or seaweed gathered from 

 the shores of New York bay, blown or drifted on the beach by 

 force of tides and winds. Variety planted, Dikeman, except 

 three-quarters of an acre Mercers. The plowing and planting all 

 done between the 9th and 26th of March, the planting between 

 the 15th and 26th of March inclusive. Depth of plowing eight 

 inches, except one-quarter of an acre subsoiled to the depth of 

 sixteen inches. The crop dug and sold between the 2d of July 

 and the 1st of August, 1860. Vines exceedingly green, and pota- 

 toes about half grown when digging commenced, and, with the 

 exception of about a half acre of the last dug, the vines continued 

 green. Crop 1590 bushels prime potatoes, 85 bushels culls, and 

 26 bushels small hog potatoes ; total 1701 bushels. The crop 

 would probably have been increased 25 or 33 per cent., if all the 

 potatoes had fully matured before harvesting. The yield was 

 243 bushels to the acre. Amount sold $1190, or $170 per acre. 

 The ground since all planted with second crops. 



The potatoes before planting were all cut from two to six 

 pieces, depending upon size, and were planted in drills — the drills 

 three feet apart, and from three to four inches deep — the sets 

 were placed about fifteen inches apart. 



Well rotted horse and hog manure was placed in the drills and 

 the seed placed on the manure. The potatoes and manure were 

 covered with a small one-horse plow, running it on both sides of 

 the drill, throwing up the ground in the form of a ridge over the 

 drill. When the sprouts were within two inches of the surface, 

 the ground was dragged nearly level, with a light wooden-tooth 

 harrow. As soon as up, the potatoes received a light dressing 

 with the hoe without hilling, having previously been plowed from 



