t 243 ] 



LETTER VIL 



TWO of the writer's neighbours had their Tcts 

 out of one heap of potatoes. They both fct with 

 the plough, the one early, and the other late in 

 the feafon. Mod of thofe early fet proved curled, 

 and moft of thofc fet late, fmoothj the latter on 

 clay hand, 



A few roods of land were alfo planted with fmall 

 potatoes, which had lain fpread on a chamber floor 

 all the winter and fpring, till the middle of May. 

 They were fofc and withered; yet proved fmooth 

 and a good crop. Middle-fized potatoes, withered 

 and foft, which had been kept in a large dry cellar, 

 and the fprouts of which had been broken off three 

 times, produced alfo a fmooth good crop. 



Hence he was led to think a fuperfluity of Tap, 

 occafioned by the feed being unripe, might caufe 

 the difeafe. To be fatisfied in this, he afked the 

 farmer whether he had fet any of the fame pota- 

 toes this year, and what was the nature of his land. 

 He told him that " he had ; that the fame pota- 

 " toes had been fee on his farm fourteen years, 

 " without ever curling -, that his foil was a poor 

 ** whitiih fand, of little depth ; and that he let 



« thofe 



