496 Report on the Cultivation of Potatoes, 



diminishes the crop, especially if the disease makes its appearance early ia 

 the season. I don't think it tends to siipertuberating, as I believe the growth 

 of the tubers is arrested, especially wlien the tops are pulled up." 



In this district opinion is unanimous in favour of harvestings 

 as early as possible after the tubers are sufficiently ripe to bear 

 it without injury ; and Mr. W. Burton adds : " I have on two 

 occasions mown off and carted away the tops, when they were in 

 a green and growing state, and both years with a success over 

 and above later gatherings of 50 per cent." In conclusion, Mr. 

 Burton states as follows : — 



" The summing up of my experience will lead me in future to adopt tlie 

 following priuciples for the cultivatiou of potatoes with reference to the avoid- 

 ing of the disease as much as possible : — 



" 1st. Planting in good soils applicable to the growth (second class and 

 heavy lands are extra-risky) ; 



" 2nd. Have good seed direct from Scotland, or what was got the previous 

 year and grown on the farm ; 



" 3rd. Plant as early as the season will permit ; 



" 4th. Apply hand-tillage to hasten the growth ; and 



" 5th. Harvest the crop while in a green and growing state, just before it 

 is matured, taking care to store them so as to let the heat escai^e." 



IX. — The Lothians. 



Nine reports from the south-east of Scotland show a tolerably 

 uniform system of cultivation of the potato. A six-course shift 

 is generally pursued, potatoes being taken after ley-oats, and 

 followed by wheat, roots, and spring corn sown out with seeds. 

 The breadth of land planted with potatoes is not rarely one-sixth 

 of the whole arable land. Mr. Samuel D. Shirreff, of Saltcoats, 

 Drem, gives a A'ery lucid account of his mode of cultivating the- 

 potato ; and I print it as nearly as possible in his own words : — 



" Potatoes seem to succeed best after oats, grown after grass. The stubble 

 should be deeply cultivated, when the yroimd is dry, immediately after har- 

 vest. If thoroughly clean, it should then simply be harrowed, and afterwards 

 have the drills drawn off. But if at all dirty and sodden with wet, it should 

 be deeply grubbed in spring. Patience is the great virtue to practise in regard 

 to the proper working of the land. As a rule, four weeks should pass after 

 the potatoes are planted, then the drills should be harrowed to check the- 

 growth of weeds. After the potatoes appear distinctly in rows the single- 

 horse grubber should be used, then the hand-hoe, then the same grubber as 

 before, but with two horses so as to go deeper, and with a single-horse grubber 

 following to remove the footprints. Then another hand-hoeing if required. I 

 have found it of great value to apply at this period a top-dressing of nitrate- 

 of soda and superphosphate immediately before earthing up. This process- 

 should be delayed as long as possible, and should be done when the land is a 

 little moist. The grubbing cannot be repeated too often ; the second should 

 be done as deeply as possible with two horses. The earthing-up requires 

 peculiar mould-boards and first-class ploughmen." 



The land generally receives a very liberal dressing for 

 potatoes, from 15 to as much as 35 tons of farmyard manure 



