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Domestic News
June 16, 1804
The Enquirer
Richmond, Henrico County, Virginia
What is this article about?
Justus Forward, Jr. of Belchertown describes a 1803 experiment applying Plaister of Paris to potato hills in late June, yielding over double the quantity of larger, better-quality potatoes compared to untreated rows.
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OCR Quality
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Full Text
From the Northampton Gazette.
Mr. BUTLER,
Agriculture being the employment of a great part of mankind, the grand question is, how we may cultivate our lands to the best advantage. Having the last year made, an experiment by putting Plaister of Paris on Potatoes, I have thought it might be of advantage to the interest of agriculture to communicate it through the medium of your paper.
The experiment I made by putting about a table spoonful of Plaister to each hill of Potatoes, which was put on the latter part of June, on about every fourth row, I soon found the vines of those that were plaistered to assume a different colour, and the stalks to grow much larger and in greater quantities. When I came to pull them in autumn, I had more than double the quantity. The potatoes were of a much better quality and much larger. As potatoes are of great use to a farmer in fattening swine and beef cattle, I would recommend it to those people, who use the Plaister, to make the experiment for themselves, by plaistering their Potatoes soon after the first hoeing.
JUSTUS FORWARD, Jun.
Belchertown, May, 1804.
Mr. BUTLER,
Agriculture being the employment of a great part of mankind, the grand question is, how we may cultivate our lands to the best advantage. Having the last year made, an experiment by putting Plaister of Paris on Potatoes, I have thought it might be of advantage to the interest of agriculture to communicate it through the medium of your paper.
The experiment I made by putting about a table spoonful of Plaister to each hill of Potatoes, which was put on the latter part of June, on about every fourth row, I soon found the vines of those that were plaistered to assume a different colour, and the stalks to grow much larger and in greater quantities. When I came to pull them in autumn, I had more than double the quantity. The potatoes were of a much better quality and much larger. As potatoes are of great use to a farmer in fattening swine and beef cattle, I would recommend it to those people, who use the Plaister, to make the experiment for themselves, by plaistering their Potatoes soon after the first hoeing.
JUSTUS FORWARD, Jun.
Belchertown, May, 1804.
What sub-type of article is it?
Agriculture
What keywords are associated?
Potato Experiment
Plaister Of Paris
Agriculture
Belchertown
Crop Yield
What entities or persons were involved?
Justus Forward, Jun.
Where did it happen?
Belchertown
Domestic News Details
Primary Location
Belchertown
Event Date
Latter Part Of June 1803
Key Persons
Justus Forward, Jun.
Outcome
more than double the quantity of potatoes, much better quality and much larger
Event Details
Experiment by putting about a table spoonful of Plaister of Paris to each hill of Potatoes on about every fourth row; vines assumed different colour, stalks grew much larger and in greater quantities; pulled in autumn