502 Report on the Cultivation of Potatoes. 



XL — CUMBEELAND AND" SoUTH-WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



The two reports from Cumberland and five from the south-west 

 of Scotland testify to remarkable uniformity of practice on the part 

 of the growers in this naturally defined region. The rotation 

 consists of oats after ley, then potatoes, followed by wheat sown 

 out with seeds, which remain one or two years. The oat-stubble 

 is generally ploughed in autumn and a second furrow in the 

 spring, not long before the drills are drawn out. Mr. R. Wallace, 

 of Braehead, near Ayr, prefers to scarify and clean the land in 

 autumn, and to give a deep ploughing and subsoiling with a 

 combined plough and subsoiler as soon as the land is fit in 

 January or February. 



In Scotland the land receives a heavy dressing of manure, 

 viz. from 25 to as much as 40 tons of farmyard manure per 

 acre, with 4 to 5 cwt. of guano, or, as in the case of the 40-ton 

 dressing, 2 cwt. of guano and 2 cwt. of dissolved bones. Under 

 this head, Mr. G. Richmond, of Scotstown Mains, Partock, Glas- 

 gow, observes : " Last year I used no artificials and had less 

 disease ; I am following the same practice this year." In Cum- 

 berland, from 10 to 15 tons of farmyard manure are applied, and 

 about 1^ to 2 cwt. of guano or superphosphate. 



The after-cultivation of the potato-crop is described in nearly 

 the same words by each of the four reporters. Messrs. R. and W. 

 Guthrie, of Crossburn, Troon, Ayrshire, may be quoted as fair 

 representatives of their neighbours : — 



" Firstly, saddle-harrowed down before tlie appearance of any tops, tlien 

 grubbed between the drills and ploughed up ; and in about a week or teu 

 days harrowed down again to let the young growths get up above ground. 

 In about a fortnight or three weeks (but it depends upon the weather) the 

 grubber is again put into the drills, preparatory to weeding or hoeing the 

 plants. If necessary, in about another fortnight or so, the weeding process 

 is renewed, and the potatoes are ploughed up (sometimes twice) before 

 finishing." 



Each of these Scotch growers reports on an average of 30 acres 

 of potatoes grown annually, and has experienced a loss of crop, 

 in the case of late potatoes, varying from one-third to two-thirds 

 of the total produce, according to the season. 



On this point, Mr. J. Young, of Fulwood, near Paisley, states : — 



" For the last ten years, I would say 50 per cent, of my crop has been 

 blighted on an average ; in wet seasons more, and in dry seasons less. I 

 have little or no potato-disease in moss land." 



They prefer to grow early potatoes, because thereby this loss is 

 avoided ; but it is well known in Scotland, though not mentioned 

 in these reports, that the wheat-crop is better after late potatoes 

 than after those lifted earlier, — a seeming parados which has not, 



