FARM OF MR. WOOLSEY. 
163 
the greatest yield. The reason of this, we inferred, 
was, that large tubers gave the growing crop a great¬ 
er amount of nourishment than smaller ones or 
cuttings could. 
2. If the season proved wet, then little or no dif¬ 
ference was found between cuttings, or small or 
large tubers. 
3. We never obtained a greater quantity, nor so 
good a quality of potatoes, as when planted on 
sod turned up after the grass got well started, the 
first week in June ; and we do believe, where a 
pleasant flavored, mealy root is desired, that a 
grass ley fresh turned over, is the very best prep¬ 
aration for a crop that can be made. By allow¬ 
ing the grass to get a good start before plowing, 
it assists greatly in the rapid decomposition of the 
sod; and this, with its roots, have proved with us 
the sweetest and best elements out of which to form 
potatoes. 
4. By manuring highly with fresh barn-yard ma¬ 
nures, poudrette, guano, fish, sea-weed, or indeed 
any strong, rank, highly fertilizing substance, a 
large crop is generally obtained; but we have in¬ 
variably found that it was at the expense of its 
quality —the potatoes proving more or less watery, 
and frequently, possessing a strong, tangy taste; 
and as nutriment for either man or beast, we fully 
believe that the same kind raised upon fresh turn¬ 
ed-up sod, is worth 50 per cent, more than that 
produced from ground where rank unrotted ma¬ 
nures are applied. If the land could be subsoil- 
plowed as the sod is turned up, we have not a 
doubt, especially in rather a dry season, but it 
would add considerably to the productiveness of 
the crop. 
5. A top-dressing of lime and charcoal is the 
best preventive we know of against insects and 
disease. See an excellent article on this subject 
in February number, page 56, by Mr. Pell. 
6. The after-culture is so well understood in 
this country, that we need not dwell upon it. 
Twice hoeing is as good as more; and the hills or 
rows never should be^ disturbed after the blossoms 
have appeared, as this injures the growth of the 
tubers already set, and causes the roots to throw 
out new ones. We have heard a great deal said 
by some experimenters about the non-necessity of 
hilling potatoes abundantly. We can assure our 
readers from repeated experiments we have made, 
that the potato delights in an accumulated, wide¬ 
spread, mellow bed ; and that, unless this is pro¬ 
vided, they can not generally expect, except in the 
richest and most friable soils, to obtain a large crop. 
Our emphatic advice, therefore, in the after-culture 
of the potato, is, to turn with a wide plow all the 
good top-soil between the rows to the plants; first, 
soon after their appearance above the ground, and 
second, just before the vine blossoms; but in doing 
this, be careful not to bury the tubers too deep. 
This should then be followed with the hoe, gather¬ 
ing the fine soil nicely about the vines, and leaving 
their beds with a flat top rather than a steep roof 
shape; in this way they preserve the moisture bet¬ 
ter, and present a broader surface to the growing 
and invigorating influences of the light and sun. 
We usually plant in drills 3 feet apart, the sets 6 
inches apart in the drills. When a top-dressing 
of lime is not convenient, ashes are excellent at 
the rate of a pint or so round each stalk, or plaster 
at the rate of a table-spoonful. Either of these 
greatly stimulate the growth. But we need not 
further dwell on this point, as the subject of ma¬ 
nures for the potato, is extremely well treated in 
an article by one of our correspondents, page 139, 
in our last number. We wish the growers of the 
potato could be induced to pay more attention to the 
quality of this important crop than has usually 
been done. 
FARM OF MR. WOOLSEY. 
One of the most highly cultivated farms which 
we have had the advantage of visiting in this vi¬ 
cinity, is Casina, at Helle-gatNeck,* belonging to 
George M. Woolsey, Esq. It is bounded in front 
by the East Biver, the ground gradually rising as 
it runs back, to an elevation of 50 feet or so, and 
sloping gently to the northeast, terminating toward 
Flushing bay with a rich border of salt-meadow, 
furnishing just hay and grass enough to give varie¬ 
ty to the food of the stock. The soil is naturally 
a good one, being mostly a gravelly loam, inter¬ 
spersed with rocks of a greater or less magnitude. 
When Mr. Woolsey came into possession of this 
farm, three years ago, he found it in a miserably 
low condition, and scarcely a building upon it de¬ 
serving the name. With his characteristic energy 
he immediately commenced work. The old build¬ 
ings were completely renovated, and new ones 
added where wanted; all admirably modeled, and , 
combining utility, comfort, and convenience. But l 
while these were going on, the land was not neg¬ 
lected. As much stock was immediately put upon 
it as it would support; all the sea-drift which the 
tides threw up on the meadow was immediately 
raked into winrows, and the rock-weed gather¬ 
ed from the rocks and transported to the barn-yard; 
the scrapings of ditches, and any other fertilizing 
substances on the farm, were also seized hold of 
and carted there; all of which, being judiciously 
combined with the stable-manure, now formed a 
valuable compost. In addition to these materials, 
we believe some use was made of lime, charcoal, 
and the offal of the sugar-house, procured from this 
city at a moderate expense. Thus was a large 
body of highly-fertilizing substances soon formed 
for enriching the soil. Loose, tumble-down wall 
fences, which with their accompanying nuisances 
of elder, thistles, and other vile weeds, occupied 
lines of 6 feet in width or more of some of the best 
portions of the farm, were removed, together with 
the surface-rocks and stones, as fast as the fields 
were broken up by the plow, and used in filling 
up a dock for the convenience of landing from the 
river-craft, and to build a strong sea-wall in front of 
the estate, and construct roads and ditches wherev¬ 
er necessary. 
The course of cropping adopted, was such as is 
more or less common on good soils on Long Island; 
* We have thought proper to make use of the original 
Dutch name of this place, viz : “ Helle-gat,” meaning, a 
narrow passage. Hurl-Gate and Hell-Gate are American 
corruptions, which one could wish to see abandoned for 
the appropriate original. 
