[ *S 3 



the bounds of pofiibility, and therefore the fact fhould be 

 afcertained. As to diminifhing the number of eyes, the 

 probability that it may affect the crop appears very ftrong. 

 Every ftcm which fprings from a potatoe becomes in time 

 a diftinct plant, which fpreads its own roots around, and 

 fends forth its own clufters of potatoes in the fame way as 

 if it were a diftinct and feparate plant. By having many 

 or few of thcfe, therefore, the crop may certainly be affected 

 -—but how far no one at prefent can fay; and therefore no 

 one can make an accurate comparative experiment on the 

 culture of potatoes in general.] 



§. VII, 



There feems to be no reafon to fufpect that eyes 

 taken from any particular part of the bulb are pof- 

 fcfled of a degree of prolifiacy greater than thofe 

 taken from any other part of it, independant of the 

 fize of the flefhy part that adheres to the eye. This 

 appears by comparing the 3d with the 4th, and the 

 7th with the 8 th rows in the foregoing experiments. 



[It is however highly probable that a difference 

 in the crop, either with refpect to the number and 

 fize, or general weight of the whole, would refult 

 from planting large cuttings of equal weight, taken 

 from the big end of large potatoes, or from the point, 

 as many eyes would be in the laft in comparifon of 

 the firft. This is therefore one of the many pre- 

 paratory experiments that requires to be made.] 



§. VIII. Hitherto 



