1803. On the Potato Curl, 29 E 



perhaps, accurate experiments arc wanting to en;ible us to fpeak 

 conficicntly. 



lliat imperfect feed is the caufe of curl, is an hypothefis w'-ich 

 has been ably defended ; and 1 muft own, that facfts have fome- 

 times fallen within my obfervation which greatly corroborate it. 



Still, however, I entertain fome doubts th4t it is not well- 

 founded ; and one caufe of my fcepticifm is, that^ from the fame 

 cut or ftt, one plant is fometimes found perfccl^ while atiother is 

 curled: and I Ihould be glad if fome of the advocates of this 

 theory would, through the medium cf your Magazine, be fo 

 obliging as to inform me how they account for this phenome- 

 non. At prefent, I am more inclined to believe, that infects and 

 worms (perhaps, in fome degree, brought forward by checks or 

 blights) are the caufe of curl, than to adopt any other theory ; 

 and, at a future period, perhaps, I may do myfelf the pleafure 

 of offering you remarks, at confiderable length, in fuppott of 

 it, and alfo of furnilhing the refuits of fome accurate experi- 

 ments in raifing crops of potatoes from flioots, cuts, and luhole 

 fets. For reafons well known to you, however, I cannot at pre- 

 fent take the liberty of encroaching farther on your time, than 

 merely to fay, that as you formerly publi(hed a paper from me, 

 on Manuring, and Paring, and Burning, figned * Ruricola, ' and 

 as another correfpondent has, in hill Number, adopted that fig- 

 nature, I (hall now, for di{lin6lion's fake, fubfcribe myfelf. 



Yours, &c. Ruricola Senior. 



TO THE CONDUCTOR CF THE FARMER 3 MAGAZINE. 



On the Superiority of Horfes to Gxen in Farm Labour, and Tohing 

 three abreajl, in certain circumflances^ .luithout a Driver, 



Sir, 



Not having been originally educated in the fchool of practical 

 agriculture, but having of late years engaged in the pra6lice of 

 it, on a fmall farm of my own, and having conceived a very- 

 warm prediledlion for it, I am among the number who think 

 that much ufeful information on the fubjetl is to be obtained 

 from reading; more efpecially as, of late years, fo many in- 

 telligent pratlical agricuUurifts have favoured the public with 

 their obfervations. If 1 am not much miftaken, indeed, what 

 may be termed the leading or firft principles of it, may be very 

 well acquired in this way, and will be found the bell guide in 

 actual pyadice afterwards. As this holds good in moft of the 



Jl e e 4 ^rts 



