161 



cates ; and "small potato advocates" are not wanting, who aver that as 

 good a crop, good in quality and abundant in quantity, may be realized 

 from small seed as from large sets, or whole moderate sized potatoes. 

 Now, it has been ascertained that the produce from the entire tuber is 

 generally superior, and that there is a con-esponding ratio between the 

 weight of the sets, whether cut or whole, and the weight of the produce. 

 In the report of the Dublin Agricultural Society, it is stated "it was 

 found on comparison, that of sets cut from large and small tubers, that 

 the produce in favor of the large was eighty-four to sixty -four." It is 

 now univei-sally allowed by all convei-sant on this subject, that large sets 

 make a more productive return than small ones, and large whole pota- 

 toes than small entire ones. When potatoes are cut for seed, great care 

 should be exercised in selecting good and sound tubers. All frosted, 

 partially rotted, mouldy, heated, and those injured in lifting, should be 

 laid aside as useless. In all these cases the juices are either absorbed 

 or vitiated, and consequently a stunted growth, if they grow at all, is 

 induced, not only to the diminution of the increase, but too often to the 

 entire failure of the crop. The most scrupulous care should therefore 

 be exercised from first to last in presei-ving the juice of the tubers ap- 

 propriated for seed. Inattention to this matter is a master evil, and 

 one that has a greater tendency to induce and perj^etuate the "taint" or 

 disease than any other. Potato plants raised from heated tubers are af- 

 fected with what is called the "white rot." 



The first eye next the root, should be" thrown aside as useless. The 

 watery end of the potato produces earlier and better crops than cuts or 

 sets taken from the root end. The reason of this is, that there is more 

 moisture in the one end than in the other, consequently a greater energy 

 is imparted to the growth, and hence an earlier crop. 



It was the opinion of the late Sir .lohn Sinclair, and also of several 

 eminent agriculturists, that plucking the flowei-s from the potato ensures 

 a greater weight of crop. This fact, if not generally known to formers, 

 is well understood by gardeners, who believe that the flowere draw more 

 sap from the root of a plant than any other part. Numerous experi- 

 ments have been made in Scotland, some of them under the auspices of 

 the "Higliland Agricultural Society," on this interesting subject, from 

 which it appears that in seasons when their flowers are plentifid, an in- 

 crease of one-sixth on the crop may be effected by plucking them off"; 



