328 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



cer next, and a small yielder; not as good as Peach-blows. Perhaps 

 the Mercers grown there are not the same sort as those so highly com-, 

 mended here. 



Mr. Bergen.— As a general rule, the kind of potatoes that grow the lar- 

 gest tops exhaust the soil most, without regard to quantity or quality of 

 roots. It is so of other crops. I grow the Ox-heart cabbage for early 

 market sales, and the large Drumhead for late. The receipts per acre are 

 about the same, but the early is the most profitable because it exhausts the 

 soil the least. 



Curing the Potato Disease. 



Mr. A. R. Lemen, of Watervliet, Berrien county, Mich., writes again, 

 affirming his belief that he has discovered a certain, sure remedy for the 

 potato rot, and wants the $10,000 which was offered some years ago by 

 Massachusetts, which we said this Club was ready to guarantee. Mr. L. 

 asks, " What evidence do you require of the fact that I can do what I say?" 



Mr. Robinson.— Simply the evidence that will positively prove the thing 

 you call a fact true. 



Mr. John G. Bergen.— I believe that I can grow potatoes free of disease, 

 if I grow them upon land so poor that it will not produce more than 20 or 

 40 bushels upon an acre. 



Tree Cotton. 



Mr. H. C. Stebbins, of Barns, Shiawassa county, Mich., wants to know 

 if the tree cotton seed advertised is a humbug. 



Mr. Robinson.— The Club has already given its opinion in full, that the 

 tree cotton is a humbug, and we again caution people not to buy seed that 

 is represented as producing trees that bear cotton in any Northern State. 



Flax Culture. 



Mr. Fayette Shepherd, of Wellington, Ohio, writes the following valua- 

 ble information to those who desire to sow flax: 



" In common with many others, I rejoice that flax is to be sown more 

 extensively this spring than formerly. 



" To relieve those who would sow, but have not the fine, well pulverized 

 soil recommended by your Club, I would give my experience in flax rais- 

 ing. Having turned over more soil than I had seed plant, I sowed a part 

 of it to flax; to my utter astonishment it was tall, well-coated, excellent. 

 Having been taught to sow flax on a well pulverized soil, I mentioned the 

 fact to my neighbor, a mile from me, whose crops surpassed all others. 

 His reply was, ' I always sow flax on greensward.' " 



Prof. Nash. — If sod ground is used for flax it must be finely pulverized 

 on the surface with a harrow, and the seed covered with a bush drag. 



Mr. Wm. R. Prince. — It appears to me that the whole question is in a 

 nut-shell. Pulverizing the soil is not the most essential to grow flax; the 

 most important point is, does the soil contain the proper nutriment suita- 

 ble to the flax ? I should say an old grass field would be very suitable, 

 the number of fine roots would pulverize the soil better than nearly any 

 other crop. 



