Cultivation of Early Potatoes. 99. 



celebrated for their excellence that we purpose giving an account 

 of the mode of cultivation there pursued. 



Poulton, or, as it is now called by the more, dignified name of 

 Morecombe, forms part of a township in the parish of Lancaster, 

 adjacent to the shore of Morecombe Bay. The soil, at least that 

 most favourable to the growth of the potato, is a sandy loam 

 upon a subsoil of gravel. There are other soils likewise on which 

 they are cultivated — moss upon clay, and calcareous loams — but 

 these latter are not considered equal to the first mentioned, 

 nevertheless they are useful for raising seed, a change of soil 

 being most beneficial. 



It will scarcely be credited that on the same land for a period 

 of twenty and more years in succession crops of potatoes have 

 been taken. Indeed, previous to the disease it was customary to 

 obtain two crops of potatoes the same year from the same 

 ground ; the first of which was taken up in June, and the second 

 in September. But since then it has been the usual practice to 

 transplant swedes or mangold-wurtzel, and of late even to sow the 

 former ;. though many growers will sow Dale's Hybrids, Yellow 

 Bullocks, and other kinds of quick-growing turnips. The pro- 

 duce of these second crops will average about 15 tons to the 

 acre. In fact, we have observed but little difference between a 

 second crop of turnips here and first crops elsewhere. 



But it may be objected that this is not farming, but gardening: 

 — we beg to reply that it is cultivating the soil ; and that as long 

 as a profitable, paying, produce can be obtained from the land by 

 cultivation, it matters not what name you give it. 



Again, it rnay be said that, after all, such a system can never 

 be carried out on a large scale. We answer : on a much larger 

 scale than may be at first supposed. Why should it not be ap- 

 plicable to a portion at least of land now set apart for the pro- 

 duction of winter potatoes ? We can see no reason why it 

 should not. In the case of winter potatoes the land might be 

 sown with rape instead of turnips. But what we now have to 

 do with is the cultivation of early potatoes. Within the last 

 three years the growth of early potatoes has been almost trebled. 



But surely, it may be said, the land in this district must be 

 most favourable for the produce of the potato — in other districts 

 it would be impossible. 



We do not say that every district could do the same, but we 

 believe that many districts similarly situated, and possessing 

 similar soil, might. " Oh," says A," you have sea-sand, and sea- 

 weed, and muscles, and that sort of thing — all of which are 

 essentially requisite for early production ; and as it would never 

 pay to convey these commodities inland for the purpose of car- 

 rying out such a course, it would never pay." 



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