PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 205 



the hill with a small cut mold-board plow, run twice through the 

 row. When about six or eight inches high, the plowing was re- 

 peated reversing, hj throwing to the hill. This was followed hj 

 another light hoeing, without attempting to raise up the ground 

 to the vines, the plowing, however, having the effect to hill up to 

 some degree. A few days later, before the vines closed up the 

 rows entirely, a small cultivator was drawn once through every 

 row. This process left the land almost entirely free of weeds, 

 &c., at the time of digging. The digging was all done with the 

 potato fork. All of the ground was cropped the previous year, 

 most of it being sod or grass land. The potatoes when dug were 

 at once picked up in baskets, and sent to Washington market. 



Some abatement may be made in the number of bushels, as the 

 cultivation is based on three bushels to the barrel, which is short 

 of the true measure. 



Expense per acre. 



17 loads manure to the acre, broadcast, at $1 per load,. $17 00 



Cost of cartage and spreading manure, _ 6 00 



12 loads of horse and hog manure to the drill, at $2.25,. 27 00 



Team and men to apply the manure, ._ 4 00 



12 bushels seed and preparing it for planting, 10 00 



Plowing, harrowing and marking out ground, 4 00 



Two hoeings, four days for one man, at 75 cents, 3 00 



Dropping potatoes and covering with horse and plow, . . 2 50 

 Plowing between drills ; harrowing ridges down with 



wooden-tooth harrow, 3 50 



* Digging 243 bushels at 4 1 cents per bushel, 10 93 



Carting to Washington market, and ferriage and loading 10 00 



Commission for selling $170, ten per cent.,. 17 00 



Total expense, $113 93 



Amount sold per acre, $170 00 



Direct expenses, _ 113 93 



Apparent profit, $56 07 



In this calculation, it will be observed, no allowance is made 

 for interest of value of land, and of the other capital employed 



• The potatoes were dug by contract per bushel ; they might have been gathered much 

 cheaper by ordinary farm laborers employed by the month and boarded by the proprietor. 



