508 Report on the Cultivation of Potatoes. 



" Addendum on Turnip Ctdtivation. — As early as I can after the removal of 

 the previous crop, I plough as deeply as possible ; in this state the land lies 

 through the winter until April : we then put on a heavy harrow, and let it lie 

 again until the middle of April, then lightly plough and grub as often as re- 

 quired until about the first week in May ; we again (immediately before sowing 

 the turnips) plough as deeply as possible, then form and split the ' stetches ' to- 

 receive the seed ; we generally use artificial manure for the turnips, as all the 

 farmyard manitre goes for the potatoes and other crops. The distance between 

 the stetches is about 3 feet, and between the plants, when thinned, 14 to 

 16 inches, as near as we can guess. My object in having this apparently 

 wide distance is to enable me to work the land as much as possible between 

 the rows during the summer. I never lose an oi:)portunity of working between 

 the rows. We generally use a 2-horse grubber between the rows after 

 harvest to tear off the dead leaves and give air to the roots ; after which we 

 have a small double-mouldboard plough run between them, to cover up the 

 decomposing leaves which the grubber has torn off (which are an excellent 

 food for the roots), and also to aflbrd a little drainage to the bulbs. We store 

 the crop as early in autumn as we can, spreading the leaves on the ground 

 and ploughing them in. This system has generally rewarded us with a very 

 abundant crop of turnips, having no trouble from fly, wire-worm, or any 

 other kind of insect. Perhaps it will be as well to add that through the kind- 

 ness of the Duke of Devonshire's agent, G. Drewry, Esq., we have had all the 

 land upon which I have grown turnips and potatoes since I came cultivated by 

 steam, which I believe has been one means of keeping us so free from iX)tato 

 disease and returning us such crops of turnips." 



A careful perusal of the replies from Mr. Mjatt and Mr. 

 Knowles leaves the impression that not only is the exceedingly 

 favourable experience of these gentlemen with regard to potato- 

 disease very remarkable in itself, but that the system of cropping 

 which each of them pursues is altogether at variance with the 

 agricultural practices of most English potato-growers. 



Out of exactly 100 growers who have replied to the schedule 

 of queries, 22 take potatoes after clover-ley, 62 after a white 

 crop succeeding clover, 5 after beans, flax. Sec, and 19 either 

 pursue no regular rotation, or give no definite information.* 

 The foregoing two replies are the only ones in which it is 

 stated that potatoes are systematically taken after a crop which 

 has allowed the land to be thoroughly cleaned during the pre- 

 vious year ; and it seems exceedingly significant that both these 

 growers experience little or no loss on account of potato-disease. 

 Whether this peculiarity in their course of cropping is the true 

 cause of the immunity of their potato-crops from the disease 

 cannot be determined without careful and extensive experiments ; 

 but it may be inferred, from the replies of these fortunate growers, 

 that they have not themselves drawn this inference. 



Pending the result of experiments which, it is to be hoped, 

 will be carefully made during the next few years, the following 



* The excess of these mmibers over 100 is due is the fact that some growers 

 take potatoes after both seeds and grain, and are therefore reckoned twice over. 



