REPORT OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 47 



prepared in the way described. The same conclusions have been 

 arrived at by many others, who have carefully experimented on 

 the culture of potatoes. Among those, I may mention the series 

 of experiments made on the Island of St. Helena many years ago. 

 Gen. Beatron planted all sizes of potatoes, and from one inch to 

 twenty inches in depth ; he obtained the best yield from large 

 whole seed and those covered with six inches of soil. The experi- 

 ments were afterward corroborated by the Phalanx in Monmouth 

 county, N. J., and by many others since. 



MANURES. 



The potato draws from the soil large quantities of potash and 

 phosphates, and this should be kept in view when composting man- 

 ure intended for potatoes, or when purchasing a fertilizer. In 

 Monmouth county, N. J., fine potatoes are grown on the sandy soils, 

 with no other fertilizer than marl, which abounds in large quanti- 

 ties in that part of the State. The analysis of this marl shows 

 that potash is its leading constituent. It also gives phosphate, in 

 less quantity. 



The following analysis of the potash shows its requirements, in 



the soil, to produce a large crop : 



Potash 40.52 



Muriate of potash 3.25 



Soda 26 



Common salt 2.24 



Lime 2.96 



Magnesia 8.09 



Peroxide of iron 5.10 



Silica 4.66 



Sulphuric acid 3.71 



Phosphoric acid 11-83 



Carhonic acid 9.18 



Carbon and sand 7.50 



Loss 60 



99.90 



From the above figures it may be easily ascertained what consti- 

 tutes a good manure for potatoes. 



Prof. Mapes recommends the following as an excellent stimulant 

 for potatoes : one cord of muck, four bushels of salt and lime mix- 

 ture, and one hundred pounds niter superphosphate of lime. He 

 says: "With such a compost, potatoes may be raised more econo- 

 mically, and with greater certainty of success, than with stable man- 

 ures ; the liability to disease will also be lessened, as such a com- 

 post is not putrescent in its character." 



Barn-yard manure, when thoroughly decomposed with muck, head 

 lands or charcoal, and applied in the drill at the time of planting, 

 or spread broadcast and plowed under, make a good manure for 

 potatoes. I prefer the latter method of application, as the manure 



