Agriculturist_:

"There are many ways of doing this. But as you only enter on the farm
this spring, you will work to disadvantage. To obtain the best results,
it is necessary to prepare for the crop two or three years beforehand.
All that you can do this year is to select the best land on the farm,
put on 400 lbs. of Peruvian guano, cultivate thoroughly, and suffer not
a weed to grow. A two or three-year-old clover-sod, on warm, rich, sandy
loam, gives a good chance for potatoes. Do not plow until you are ready
to plant. Sow the guano broadcast after plowing, and harrow it in, or
apply a tablespoonful in each hill, and mix it with the soil. Mark out
the rows, both ways, three feet apart, and drop a fair-sized potato in
each hill. Start the cultivator as soon as the rows can be
distinguished, and repeat every week or ten days until there is danger
of disturbing the roots. We usually hill up a little, making a broad,
flat hill. A tablespoonful of plaster, dusted on the young plants soon
after they come up, will usually do good. We recommend guano, because in
our experience it does not increase the rot. But it is only fair to add,
that we have not found even barn-yard manure, if thoroughly rotted and
well mixed with the soil the fall previous, half so injurious as some
people would have us suppose. If any one will put 25 loads per acre on
our potato land, we will agree to plant and run the risk of the rot. But
we would use some guano as well. The truth is, that it is useless to
expect a large crop of potatoes, say 350 bushels per acre, without
plenty of manure."

This was written before the potato-beetle made its appearance. But I
think I should say the same thing now--only put it a little stronger.
The truth is, it will not pay to "fight the bugs" on a poor crop of
potatoes. We must select the best land we have and make it as rich as
possible.

"But why do you recommend Peruvian guano," asked the Doctor, "rather
than superphosphate or ashes? Potatoes contain a large amount of potash,
and one would expect considerable benefit from an application of ashes."

"Ashes, plaster, and hen-dung," said the Judge, "will at any rate pay
well on potatoes. I have tried this mixture again and again, and always
with good effect."

"I believe in the hen-dung," said I, "and possibly in the plaster, but
on my land, ashes do not seem to be specially beneficial on potatoes,
while I have rarely used Peruvian guano without good effect; and