The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-05-22
Mlsst'aNr, ~ 81 rF



Ses1 p0tS.o i.Xpsrirn ',i..-
Many farmers are In the habit o
Plating smalllJota0es. thinking tina
they are as goodsfot this purJo 81
larger ones. A few farmers send or
ticles occas. oially, TO tie asmeultlra
papers, wherein they state that thej
are in the practice OF planting small
potatoes, and they further say tha
their potatoes are improving frou
year to year, If farmers viii Ian
large and small potatoes side 10y side
trough a series OF years, they viii
then see that large potatoes give tn,
best returns. y lfsthey find it not So
they may conclttle that the laws o.
the vegetable kingdom are reversed
For long time, tried to find til,
best sized potato to plant, but 20 nC
purpose. Some would say that larg,
ones were the best, Others that smal
ones were just as good. At last ]
concluded to experiment, aud | In.
tend to continue the plan from yea
to year, aud hope others will do Tho
same, anl thon We can compare notes
Each vcrr. for the three past years,
have trie tHo eXpe.i lie ITS, and
send you the results .or the first an
third year, The SECOND years ex
pertinent yo'I will finlin list c lltiva.
tor. | take my book to the field an
write down every item mt the time
and no mistakes arc made. The fol
lowing is the methol of procedure
with the results for the first year =
l selected u piece of ground, not
very fertile, from which the year be
fore | took crop of buckwheat. /
plowel the ground twice and furrow-
ei it. The manure had been previous
ly hauled olt and piled, and | had it
forked over thorough. Then 1 put
n shovelltill of manure in each hill.
AMI q small quantity of pl ster -
Thus practised, until l ha,. IN ,nLr .d
ten rows ofthirty hills each 1 weigh
cl the seed for each row and .'lso the
potatoes produced from eac row,
and the result is rs follows:
First row, 3 pieces in each hill :,
weight lbs, produced 20 lbs, I'd
row, 2whole ones, middle sic, weight
I lbs, "A lbs, 81 row, = pieces cat
from middle sized potatoes, weight
3 lbs, 5St lbs; 4th row, 3 small
whole potatoes, weight 1 lbs, g. lbs,
9th row, very small whole potatoes,
weight / lbs, go lbs; 9th row, .
halves OF large potatoes, weight ia
lbs, 90 lbs 7th row, 3 pieces cut
from large potatoes, weight II lbs,
CO lbs; st'l row, | large whole pota-
toe, weight Il lbs, So lbs, 9ta rov,
3 3pieces cut from stein end, weight
y lbs, - lhs,, 10th row, 3 piec,
cat from sorout end, weighs 81 lbs ;,
10 lbs.
From the rows Nos. 6 AMI 8 were
pro liee1 the i.rgest potatoes from
N)s. 4 AMI 5, tie smallest-;hey
were, as tle saying Is, ''smlli pot,
toes 'JJ -. -..l'|' 3D. Y .t
The followiag,is the result for the
third year:
First row,2 halves of large pota-
toes IN each hill, weight 10 lbs,
produced % lbs; 2tl row, 3 whole
potatoes, weight 3 lbs, 3l row, l.
whole potato", weight 10 lbs, 7s lbs,
4th row | Woe potatoa, weight . lbs, J.,
81 lbs, 9TH row, half OF large pot
to-, weight ) .b,,, ~ lbs, 9TH row, 4
whole, potasoes, weight p lbs, o
lbs 9TH row,2 large potatoes cut in i,
A pieces " light 8 Ibs,, 54l ls.; Sth
row, = Who'll potatoes, weight 5 lbs,
The above rows We're twenty hills
long, aad you will notice that Il M
cut potatoes produced the greatest
number OF poah;ts, ami YOU will fur
ther potice that l.y incle. sing IL
m nherof small potao 5 to cGch hill
thy pro | iced better. In III $ last
experiment the uncut large poCatoes
produced better than the large DO /
ta5oas hal e.. In the iirstexpe i'm t
it is. the reverse of this, Therefore /
am led TO nelieye that it ma ;es but
little difference whether the potatoes
are cut or not.-.i. q. Brown IL BIS
ton Cuinrat,r.
II ". .. .U ....