486 Report on the Cultivation of Potatoes, 



IV. — South and West of England. 



This heading- includes six replies, namely, two from Hamp- 

 shire, one from Dorsetshire, and three from Devonshire. Pota- 

 toes in this district appear to be taken after a white-straw crop, 

 whether on the four- or six-course system, either of which may 

 be extended to another year by the seeds being left two years 

 instead of one. 



The method of cultivation in Devonshire may be gathered 

 from the following' description by Mr. T. Wills, of Eastwrey, 

 Lustleigh : — 



" If the land is foul after the ley corn-croji, the stubble is cleansed imme- 

 diately after harvest. In November or December the land is ploughed 6 or 

 7 inches deep. In Fcbruarj'- or early in March (choosing dry weather) the 

 land is worked down into good tilth with the scarifier and haiTOw previous 

 to sowing. 



" "Where the land is not too steep for cartage, I usually apply from 8 to 10 

 tons of fresh farmyard-manure before I plough the land in November or 

 December, and about 3 cwt. per acre of the best guano I can get when I 

 plant the croi>. If no dung is used, I apply 5 or 6 cwt. per acre of guano at 

 planting. 



" I harrow the land every 12 or 14 days in fine open weather until the 

 rows can be plainly seen. The horse-hoe is then used to destroy weeds and 

 stir the land as often as necessary ; and the ear thing- plough is used for 

 banking up before the stalks get long enough to be broken down and injured 

 by the operation." 



The following replies by Mr. J. Blundell, Land Agent, 

 Southampton, give a lucid account of his practice as a potato- 

 grower during 35 vears. The numbers prefixed to the selected 

 replies, correspond to those attached to the questions already 

 given on p. 475. 



" 6. Potatoes have been usually grown instead of mangolds, swedes, and 

 turnips, and have therefore been grown at intervals of about four years ; and 

 it has proved very pi-ofitable, for on these soils better barley or wheat is grown 

 than after turnips fed oil", and the succeeding clover is always first-rate. 



" 8. The land is usually ploughed immediately after harvest, and when 

 clean (as it should be, there being no time to clean it) it is allowed to remain 

 fallow, ploughed during the whole winter ; and about March or sometimes 

 in FeWnary, if the weather is favourable, the ground is either dragged or 

 scarified crossways and immediately ploughed and planted. 



" 9. When town manure or yard dung has been applied, it has been in the 

 autumn and fallowed in, because it does not delay the season of planting, 

 as the potatoes may be planted during the time required to haul the dung if 

 laid on in spring. The system of using artificial manures is found best, as it 

 does not open the land so much as town and yard manure, and in consequence 

 avoids the effect of electricity, one of the chief exciting caiiscs of the disease, 

 the soundest tubers always being found at the bottom of the furrow. 



" 14. As soon as the leaf shows about 5 or 6 inches above ground, the 

 potatoes ai-e horse-hoed between the rows, and, as soon as the weather will 

 permit, are hand-hoed in the lines ; a few days after hand-hoeing, the horse- 

 hoeing is repeated. The time cannot be stated, as it will vary with the early 



