74 The Potato. 



whole was dissolved ; water was then added until the whole filled 

 up a pipe containing 110 gallons, which was watered over 

 the sets as planted in three-quarters of an acre of ground: this 

 was far more encouraging than any other experiment, but was 

 too costly for common use ; a modification of it is most valuable, 

 and has been for several years my only manure. 



Wlien the disease was at its height and the terror the 

 greatest (in 1847), it was noticed that in a high field directly 

 above the river Dart the stalks of the potatoes had been blown 

 out and fairly drifted away from the ridges over a large portion 

 of the field. A yard (5 paces by 5) being marked out, a man 

 soon collected the stalks. They did not amount to a moderate 

 handful, and did not weigh a pound avoirdupois. Being incine- 

 rated, 1000 grains only left a residue of \\\ or 12 grains of 

 silica. Nor have I seen until last year (185Gj potato stalks with 

 anytliing like the usual old mode of growth. 



Simultaneously with these experiments, which in fact have 

 been continued up to this present hour, it was determined to 

 ascertain if possible what effect depth of soil might have on the 

 produce of the set, and possibly on the disease. It v.as remem- 

 bered that in 1847 and 1848, when the disease appeared to be 

 greatly on the increase, and threatened to be, as it really was, 

 most destructive, a man at Whilborough, on dry days, in order 

 to save his potatoes, instead of digging them up, made the earth 

 very fine, eaithed the stalks up very high, and saved Ids crop most 

 efftctualbj. It was also recollected that many years since the late 

 T. A. Kniglit, of Downton Castle, had advocated a considerable 

 change in the culture of the potato ; recommending the cleansing 

 a wheat stubble, and carrying on to it a large dressing of farmyard 

 manure early in the autumn, directly after the removal of the wlieat 

 crop ; ploughing the ground deeply ; thoroughly incorporating the 

 manure with the soil ; and planting the potato sets at a yreater 

 depth, the roivs or drills much further apart, and tlie sets in the rows 

 at far yreater distances, than ordinarily in use. Whilst thinking 

 about Knight's plan, and making ineffectual endeavours to 

 find where I had seen his paper, an intimate friend solicited my 

 opinion. He had grown rather more than an acre of potatoes 

 (172 yards), and engaged a man to dig the potatoes at per bag 

 (a bag of potatoes is 7 scores). He paid him for 78 bags. 

 Soon after, walking over the ground, he was astonished at the 

 number of potatoes lying on the surface of the ground, and 

 sending a person to collect them, took away other two bags, 

 making 80 in the whole. In the following April, intending to 

 sow barley in this piece of land, his manservant returned to 

 say that he had found a vast many potatoes coming up, and re- 

 commended letting them alone. He did so. The plants were 



