8 On the Culture cf' Potatoes and the Cauje cf Curl. [^^B* 



difear? called the Curl, to which this plant is liable. O.^e gen- 

 tleman, who (ipns himfelf P. H. gives us a moil anufing theory 

 Upon it in your eleventh Number- A theory which (however mge- 

 Tiious) will be readily acknowledged to be conrrnry to the general 

 analogy of nature, and the experience of mankind in evr.ry other 

 rafe. It is the general rule of nature, extending to the whole of 

 animal and vegetable exiftence, that the more perfe(^ any one of 

 r'ither is, the more perf^ft will its pro^^uce be ; and of courfe 

 -vve would be led, a priori^ to conclude, that the longer and more 

 completely any foreign plant or vegetable is naturalized to a cli- 

 mate, the more healthy vdl it become, and the more rf^dily will it 

 •endure the inclemencies to which the climite is fubjccl, in ib much 

 as in time not tn be diilinguilhed from that which is indigeno-js. 

 And this, in faft, is as much the cafe with potatoes as with any 

 other plant or vegetable whatever. For thefe kinds of potatoes 

 "which have been longeft in the country, and in moil general uie^ 

 are found to be by far the bed, the moll wholefome and pala- 

 lable, and are fooneft ripe ; while moft of the new kinds are for 

 feveral years flow and backward in their growth, feldom come to 

 perfetlion, are generally of a looie, fpungy, and watery texture, 

 and both un wholefome and unpleafant. 



My opinion therefore refpeccing the caufe of the curl in pota- 

 toes is different from any that I have yet feen publilhed. I think 

 5t is more owing to feafon than to any other caufe. If the early 

 part of the fealon is fb kindly and warm as to allow the plant to 

 fpring fairly up, and to take hold of the ground, there will be 

 little or no curl. But if the pot.itocs are too early planted, or if 

 the feafon is cold and backward as this laH; fpring hath been, we 

 may expejft curl in abundance. And fo far as my obfervation 

 reaches, this is uniformly the cafe. A late, cold, and frothy fpring, 

 ;md early planted potatoes, produce the curl ; while later plant- 

 ed potatoes, or tbofc which are exempted from the froif and col J 

 -at their tirft outlet, are more exempted from that dlfeafe. Pota- 

 toes that are planted on elevated and hilly or moill fjtuatianS) 

 :and which cannot from neceility be fo early planted as in warmer 

 ;ind more favourable lituations, and which of courfe are later in 

 springing up, ieldoiu before the end of May j amon^^ thele the 

 curl is fcarce ever known, and are therefore had recourfe to as a 

 change of feed, in thofe places where the curl has prevailed. — - 

 Whether this fyfteai is well-founded or nor, it at leall has the 

 merit of novelty, and, which is much better, it feems to be per- 

 fectly conlonant to the general analogy of nature, and therefore 

 meriting ^^me degree ol attention. 1 he child that has the mis- 

 fortune to be nipped in its early infancy, either by improper con- 

 finement, or by the cold and harlh treatment of an unnatural and 

 cruel mother or nurfe, becomes lickly and dwarfifh, and ten to 



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