SOLANACEÆ. 
soon after harvest; and a second, and commonly a third, early 
in spring; the land is then laid up into ridglets, from 24 
to 30 inches broad, as for turnips, and manured in the same 
manner. 
The best manure for the potatoe appears to be littery farm- 
yard dung; and the best mode of applying it, immediately 
under the potatoe sets. Any manure may be applied; and no 
plant will bear a larger quantity of it, or thrive in coarser or less 
prepared manure. 
The season of planting early potatoes in the fields depends 
much on the soil. Where the soil is very dry, the potatoe sets 
may be planted in March; but for a full crop April is the best 
time. Potatoes, indeed, are often planted in the end of May, or 
even in June; but the crops, although often as abundant, are 
neither so mellow or mature as when the sets are planted in 
April or in the first 8 or 10 days in May. 
The time of cutting the sets should always be some days 
before planting, that the wounds may dry up; and no harm will 
result from performing the operation several weeks beforehand, 
provided the sets are not exposed too much to the drought. 
The sets ought to be large, rarely smaller than the fourth part 
of the potatoe. At all events, rather err in giving over large 
sets, than in making them too small ; because by the first error, 
no great loss can be sustained, whereas, by the other, a feeble 
and late crop may be the consequence. 
The modes of planting the potatoe are various; but the best 
modes are either to plant them by dibber on a plane surface in 
rows, Or by spade in digging, or in drills, in the manner of 
turnips. 
The after culture of potatoes consists in harrowing, hoeing, 
weeding, and earthing up. All potatoes require to be earthed 
up, extending 6 or 7 inches round their stem. The reason of 
this is, that the tubers do not, properly speaking, grow under 
the soil, but rather on, or partially bedded in its surface. The 
earth may be thrown up by a spade, draw-hoe, or with a small 
plough, drawn by one horse. Pinching off the whole of the po- 
tatoe blossoms is a part of after culture not unworthy of the 
attention of the farmer, for the reasons given by Mr. Knight. 
A mode of taking part of the crop suited to cottagers and 
others, especially in years of scarcity, deserves to be mentioned. 
Having ascertained that some of the tubers have attained an 
eatable size, go along the rows, and loosen the earth about each 
plant with a blunt stick, taking 2 or 3 of the largest tubers from 
each plant, and returning the earth carefully. By this means 
the tubers which remain will increase in size, having now the 
nourishment destined to complete the growth of those re- 
moved. 
Potatoes intended for seed should be taken up a fortnight or 3 
weeks before fully ripe, for the reasons already given under 
garden culture. 
Potatoes are stored and preserved in houses, cellars, pies, and 
camps. Whatever mode is adopted, it is essential that the 
tubers be perfectly dry, otherwise they are certain of rotting; 
and a few rotten potatoes will contaminate a whole mass. Put- 
ting them into close houses, and covering them well up with 
straw, is the most effectual mode, and that which is generally 
adopted. In some parts of Scotland, it is a common practice to 
dig pits in the potatoe-field, when the soil is dry and light, and 
putting in potatoes to the depth of 3 or 4 feet, to lay a little dry 
straw over them, and then cover them up with earth, so deep 
that no frost can affect them. Another method, which is prac- 
tised in England as well as in Scotland, is to put them together 
in heaps, and cover them up with straw, and afterwards cover 
with earth, and so closely packed together as to exclude frost. 
Dry weather is absolutely necessary in storing potatoes, as they 
I. SoLANUM. 405 
do not keep well when stored in a wet state ; and all cut pota- 
toes should be carefully picked out. Pieing is also a good 
means of preserving potatoes, which is described under garden 
culture. Several other modes of preserving potatoes are in use 
in different places. Capping is a method similar to pieing. 
T'he produce of the potatoe varies from 5 to 8, and sometimes 
10 or 12 tons per acre; the greatest produce is from the yam, 
which has been known to produce 12 tons, or 480 bushels per 
acre. The haulm is of no use but as manure, and is very gene- 
rally burned for that purpose, being slow of rotting. 
The application of the potatoe crop is of the greatest import- 
ance as human food; and is the only root grown in Britain 
which may be eaten every day in the year, without satiating the 
palate ; they are, therefore, the only substitute that can be used 
for bread, with any degree of success, and indeed they often 
enter largely into the composition of the best loaf bread, without 
at all either injuring its nutritive qualities or flavour. 
Among the extraordinary applications of the potatoe may be 
mentioned cleansing woollens, and making an ardent spirit. 
Cleansing woollens.—The refuse of potatoes used in making 
starch when taken from the sieve, possesses the property of 
cleansing woollen cloths, without hurting their colour ; and the 
water decanted from the starch powder is excellent for cleansing 
silks without the smallest injury to the colour. 
Wine of considerable quality may be made from frosted pota- 
toes, if not so frosted as to have become soft and waterish. 
Ardent spirits.—Potatoes that have been injured by the frost 
produce a greater quantity of spirit, and of a much finer quality 
than those that are fresh; they require a proportion of malt- 
wash to promote the fermentation. About one-fourth part of 
malt-worts, or wash, ought to be fermented at least 6 hours be- 
fore the potatoe-wash is joined to it; otherwise the potatoe- 
wash, having an aptitude to ferment, will be ripe for the still be- 
fore the malt-wash is ready ; hence the effect will be to generate 
an acid which renders the spirit coarse, and when diluted with 
water, of a milky or bluish colour. When the spirit is strong, 
the acid is held in solution, but appears as above when diluted 
with water. (Farmer’s Mag. 17. p. 325.) 
In the application of potatoes as food for live stock, they are 
often joined with hay, straw, chaff, and other similar matters ; 
and have been found useful in many cases, in the later winter 
months, as food for horses, cows, and other sorts of live stock. 
With these substances, as well as in combination with other ma- 
terials, as bean or barley-meal, and pollard, they are used in the 
fattening of neat cattle, sheep, and hogs. Potatoes are most 
nutritious when boiled ; they were formerly cooked in this way, 
but are now very generally steamed, especially in the North. 
The practice has been carried to the greatest extent by Curwen 
in feeding horses. He gives to each daily 14 stone of potatoes, 
mixed with a tenth of cut straw. An acre of potatoes, he consi- 
ders, goes as far in this way as four of hay. 120 stones of pota- 
toes require 24 bushels of coals to steam them. The baking of 
potatoes in an oven has also been tried with success. They are 
also given raw to stock of every description, to horses and hogs 
washed, but not washed to cows or oxen. Washing was for- 
merly a disagreeable and tedious business; but it is now ren- 
dered an easy matter, whether on a large or small scale, by the 
use of the washing machine. 
Frosted potatoes may be applied to various useful purposes ; 
for food by thawing in cold water, or being pared, then thawed, 
and boiled with a little salt. Salt and saltpetre, chaff, or bruised 
oats, boiled with them, will render them fit food for cattle, 
swine, poultry, &c. Starch and paste for weavers, book- 
binders, and shoemakers, may be made from them, when too 
sweet to be rendered palatable. 
