480 Report on the Cultivation of Potatoes. 



" I harrow them down twice with what is called a bow-harrow, then run the 

 scarifier between every row, to loosen well the soil (using two horses for that 

 operation). I follow with the Norwegian or drill-harrow, and afterwards 

 earth them up with a double plough, then level the tops of the drills or rows 

 with a rake or chain-harrow, so as to leave no impediment in the way of the 

 sprout forcing itself through in the proper place. I continue at intervals to 

 scarify and earth uj) until the tops prevent any further passage between the 

 rows, always taking care to have the drill as narrow or sharp as possible 

 at the top, for I have noticed as a fact, the flatter the drill the icorse the 

 disease." 



Mr. W. Birch gives his practice on a farm with black or peaty 

 5oil on sand, as follows : — 



" Soon after the potatoes are planted the drills are harrowed down with 

 bow-harrows ; they are then horse-hoed and ploughed up, and then harrowed 

 lightly down with a light harrow, taking care that the drills are not too high, 

 as the potato puts up a stronger sprout if it is not too deep. Thej^ are then 

 left till they are nicely up, then horse-hoed and ploughed, and hand-hoed 

 once, the horse-hoeing and ploughing being repeated till the tops meeting 

 prevent it. I find it impossible to give exact dates, but these operations 

 extend from the third week in April to the first week in June, a large grower 

 having generally the horse-hoe and one plough working continually in the 

 jx)tatoes, arranging to have all completed if possible before hay-harvest, say 

 the second week in June." 



Other growers give similar details of the work done on the 

 potato-land, until it is entirely covered by the haulm ; and Mr. 

 Richard Simpson, of Out-RawclifFe, Garstang, emphatically 

 expresses his opinion that " a farmer ought never scarcely to 

 be out of the potato-ground while he can get amongst them." 



The chief kinds of potatoes planted are, in the order in which 

 they are reported to resist disease. Skerry Blues, Baron's 

 Perfection, Scotch Downs, Paterson's Victoria, Flukes, Regents, 

 Kemps, &c. The two first-named varieties are reported to be 

 the least liable to disease in the majority of cases ; but two or 

 three growers in each case have added that they do not take in 

 the market, owing to their inferior quality. Two growers add 

 that Flukes were formerly much more free from disease than 

 they have been of late years. Mr. Atherton, like Mr. Hatton, 

 prefers to rely upon getting the potatoes to market before the 

 time when the disease usually begins to attack the plant, and for 

 this purpose he plants Runcorn Kidneys. 



The disease appears in some years earlier than in others, and 

 there is a considerable weight of evidence to prove that, although 

 it is not generally noticed in Lancashire until about the 12th to 

 the 20th of August, yet that in 1872 it appeared on many farms 

 as early as the third week in July. Again, the reports from 

 growers who farm heavy land indicate an earlier appearance of 

 the disease than those from the occupiers of light land. 



Most of the growers report that they have never found 



