“pits’ 1 are opened, and from these tlie neigh¬ 
borhood gets its supply. This marl is a green 
sand, and is not, I think, credited by the 
chemist with anything especially rich in the 
way of plant food. Its action, however, 
whether chemical or mechanical, has a decided 
influence on the growth of plants. Upon the 
potato it seems to have almost a specific effect, 
producing, as u rule, smooth and bright tu¬ 
bers. The ways of applying it to the crop are 
generally as follows: 
1. The farm manure is spread upon the field 
in the Fall, and in the Winter the marl is cart¬ 
ed from the “pits” and broadcasted over the 
manure. 2. The maim re carted out of the yard 
in tiie Spring is composted with the marl, and 
the compost is either spread broadcast in the 
Fall and Winter, or put in the row in. the 
Spring. ;l. The marl is put directly in the 
row; the manure, applied sometimes in the 
Spring, being plowed under. It is with this 
treatment that the specific action of the marl 
spoken of is noticed. When the marl is on 
the farm, or so near it that it* cost is nominal, 
and where large stocks of animals are kept on 
the farm, the conditions for successful and 
profitable potato growing are about perfect. 
Of course, on the great majority of farms 
these very favorable conditions do not exist, 
and the question alwuys uppermost in the 
minds of their owners has been, “How can we 
best compete with those whose advantages 
are so superior to ours?* 
It. was in the search of an answer to this 
question that our funnel's, about ten years 
ago, began the use of chemical fertilizers. As 
regards convenience, the verdict is unani¬ 
mous in favor of the latter. As regards profit, 
a verdict is not so easily reached because of 
t he tact that such variable values are placed 
upon farm manure. The one thing, however, 
that has been proven beyond a doubt is that, 
placing anything like a fair valuation upon 
the farm manure, ami then applying, acre for 
acre, its equivalent in a high-grade chemical 
fertilizer, the yield, not only of the potatoes 
but also of the wheat, following, will be great¬ 
est whore the fertilizer was applied. 
The almost universal way of using these 
lei tilizers is in the row. That is very well if 
they are to supplement the use of manure; 
but if the crop is to be grown with them 
alone (and in that ease, of course, more will 
enough to thoroughly dry the surface,and then, 
as soon as practicable, remove it to cool, dark 
quarters. Probably few localities excel North¬ 
ern Michigan in the production of sound, 
healthy potatoes. Here, the ground is never 
frozen, tbe earth being covered with snow be¬ 
fore freezing, and vegetation starting even 
prior to its disapjieaiauce in Spring. It is a 
very common practice here to leave the crop 
in t he hill till Spring, when not needed sooner 
for actual use. The potato evinces its satis¬ 
faction under this treatment by beenming a 
weed, very difficult of eradication; since every 
minute tuber remaining in the soil, is sure to 
become the parent of a more or less numerous 
progeny. Under this state of things, tlie 
shiftless farmer, when he has suffered the 
proper season to pass without having planted, 
resorts to his last year's " patch,” and ekes 
out his supply with the second crop, known as 
“volunteers.” 
South Haven, Mich. 
^mptements autl Pachittcnj 
POTATO PLANTER 
THE RURAL BLUSH. 
Tub past season I dug, in all. 750 Rural Blush 
Potatoes, 014 of which were of merchantable 
size, and of these 1 picked out 1(.K) which 
weighed S7 pounds; the next 100 weighed 
50; the third, 51; the fourth, 35; and the 
remaining 214 were quite large enough for 
family use. The 130 refuse potatoes, some of 
which were of good size but cut in digging, 
weighed pounds. h. l. 
IT MARKS! IT FURROWS! IT DROPS: IT COVERS: IT DISTRIBUTES FERTILIZER 
CORN PLANTER ATTACHMENT FOR 1886 . 
Send for Circular to 
ASPINWALL M'F’G CO., 
THREE RIVERS. VIICH. 
POTATO GROWING IN KANSAS 
POTATO DIGGER AND SHOVEL PLOW 
Chicopee Falls, Mass., 
January 1. 1886. 
Having purchased the Patent, 
Patterns, etc., of the Hitchcock 
Agricultural Works of Pough¬ 
keepsie, N. Y., we shall continue 
the manufacture of the above, and 
solicit your orders for the coming 
season. Yours truly. 
COMBINED 
prepare*t, ine elements ot plant Iite—nitrogen, 
phosphoric acid and jiotash—should lie within 
easy reach and readily soluble, and there 
should lie sufiicieut moisture, so that the plant 
may never suffer for one moment, from germ¬ 
ination till maturity. 
With me. seven hills of Mammoth Pearl 
yielded 60 pnuuds—one bushel. One hill gave 
110 tubers, more than half of which were of 
marketable size; some weighed two and one- 
half to three and one fifth |kiuui Is. The land 
was quite new; on it prairie grass used to 
grow six feet high, and was burnt off the year 
before. I broke the ground in June, plowed 
it again in the Fall, manured it well in the 
Winter, and plowed it once more in the 
Spring. A crop of weeds had grown five feet 
high by July; and after plowing them under, 
I planted the potatoes, harrowed them when 
breaking the ground, cultivate l them flut 
three times, and at the last cultivation gave 
them a mixture of burnt bone (dissolved), fish 
scrap, blood, wood ashes and tine sheep drop¬ 
pings—about a handful round each hill. 
Being-close to the creek, they never suffered 
for moisture, so I dug the finest, smoothest and 
the heaviest crop of potatoes 1 ever saw. I 
have had the same conditions on other parts 
Of my farm, but never realized so large a crop. 
The Rural’s Fertilizer Special was worth the 
price of the paper for the whole year. Those 
“out A Vest" who will only tuke the trouble to 
save all their manure will make crops when 
their neighbors will fail E. z. b. 
Solomon City, Kansas. 
SUC’i'ESS 
BELCHER&TAYL0R 
AGRICULTURAL 
TOOLCOMPANY, 
Box 75, 
Chicopee Falls, 
Mas 
BEST POTATO CULTIVATOR 
CULTURE OF THE POTATO. 
PRES. T. T. LYON. 
T iik Early Rose was, for a considerable pe¬ 
riod, the favorite in this region; but it is now 
mainly superseded by quite a number of more 
recent varieties, the most popular of which it 
would lie difficult to determine. Among these, 
1 will name Burbank, White Elephant, Peer¬ 
less and Late Rose, which are esteemed about 
m the order named. 
\\ e regard a saudy loam, with porous, well- 
drained subsoil, as preferable for the potato. 
A vigorous shoot, from a single eye* is prefer- 
able to a greater number, but the habit of dif- 
lereut varieties seems to vary considerably in 
tin's particular. Whole tubers of certain vari¬ 
eties will rarely push from more than a sin¬ 
gle eye: while others will generally send up 
several shoots, which, us a matter of course, 
are likely to be comparatively less vigorous. 
Single shoots will, in mast, cases, ret fewer 
tubers, which will generally develop more 
evenly; hence lie of average, even size. With 
several shoots, one or more will, in general, 
take the lead in vigor, resulting in unevenly 
developed tubers. Such being the care, my 
preference is to cut to a single eye, preferring 
those near the crown; and planting from one 
to three eyes in a lull, in check rows, about 
three feet apart each way, admitting of cross 
cultivation. 
Ihe potato is most nearly in its natural 
condition when loft where it grew, until need¬ 
ed for use. This being the care, when dug, I 
would have it exposed to the air imiv i, 
The only cultivator that the farmer can Instantly Adjust to cultivating rows am width apart. Theexi 
arch permits tin wheels to be set closer together or further apart at tlie will of the operator. Just w 
ueed for cultivating potatoes, corn, tobacco or any garden produce. Send f, >r circulars and prices to 
The Edmiston & Waddell Co 
Brooklyn, E.D., N.Y 
BEST SELLING TOOL ON EARTH 
Entjoctii the toil to th» trtion of a Steal Crothor mi Lorolsr, asd to tho Cutting, Lifting, Turning Prc:«a of Dent!a 3an« 
of wilt Stool lonltart. Imasasa entting pevw. Cmsiiag, LavcLng asd ?ulTonidng parfornod a; ths ust timo. Entira 
alsonca of Dpttai or Spring Teeth avoids pulling np ruhhish. Oil- Hvrew that cuts ovortlo entire snrfsca el tha grass! 
Sues, 3 to Id ft vide. With ami without Sulky attachment. Wo deliver five at Distributing Depots. 
wj' A fn NOT HU DKCIClVKIt. Ron't let dealers palm off a base imitation or sontein- 
Jt% ferlor tool under the assurance that it is better. SATISFY YOURSELF BY ORDER- 
A _ r 1NG AN “ACME’* ON TRIAL. We will send a double gaits Acme to any 
Mr B t \ .responsible farmer in the United States; If it does not suit, he may send It back, w« 
paying return freight. We don’t aak pay until tried on his own farm. ^ 
Send for pniiiphlet containing ihounitntl* of testimonials from IS States and Territories. 
MUCH £ CDA Manufactory and Principal Offlcs, 
DEEP PLANTING.-LIGHT SEEDING.— 
THOROUGH CULTI VAT ION. 
Fokty-kivk rods of land, gravelly loam, in 
hoed crops for several years, and only of 
moderate fertility, were j4owed about May 
(Continued on page 200.) 
