The Potato. 79 



a careful man, with a rather long but narrow hoe, to the potato 

 plot, with positive directions that he shall make very fine the 

 middle (only) of the alley, and carefully earth up with the fine 

 earth each ridge, and I go once at least in every day and nar- 

 rowly inspect each ridge to see that the earthing has been done 

 according to my instructions. 



In July it becomes needful to keep a watch on the Lilium 

 lancifulium ; the disease appearing on the lilium just three weeks 

 before the potato is affected gives an important warning ; and 

 the last earthing having now settled down, a man is sent into 

 the plot with the most earnest injunction that he shall carefully 

 earth up with the finest earth every ridge and every plant in 

 the ridge. It will be found in digging that iew are diseased, 

 and those few admit of an easy explanation why they are affected. 

 It will also be found that white potatoes are less affected, all 

 things being equal, than the particoloured or red, and these 

 are also less diseased than the purple or black skinned potatoes. 

 It will also be found that the earlier a potato arrives at maturity, 

 the less probability is there that it will become diseased ; and 

 this has been abundantly proved during the last four seasons, 

 but especially in the last, pronounced by every one to be the 

 worst since 1846. Out of above 30 bags of the variety called the 

 ' Early Fop,' I had not one peck of diseased potatoes among the 

 entire lot. 



Again, the White Kidney. — I was favoured by Mr. Moore, 

 of Torquay, with a basketful of this excellent variety. The 

 basket and potatoes, straw included, weighed a trifle more than 

 53 lbs. They were treated as directed ; the produce was six 

 sacks and about half a basketful. The diseased potatoes in this 

 lot amounted to rather more than a peck and a-half, the disease 

 being confined to one end, where, despite all the care taken, 

 they were too near the surface. 



One other sort was grown, the York Regent, part of the seed 

 being of my own growth, and the remainder obtained from the 

 Lothians. Both were equally good, but the latter were rather 

 the latest. Three bags were employed as seed ; the produce 

 was sixteen and a-ha,lf sacks; the diseased potatoes averaging 

 not quite three-quarters of a basketful. 



Well, then, the sorts recommended as being most excellent in 

 quality and productive in quantity are the Early Fop, the 

 White Kidney, and the York Regent. The Early Fop was 

 planted whole, the Regent cut into halves, the White Kidney 

 into six or eight sets. 



Of seedlings some hundreds have been tried, and many have 

 attained under a multitude of names some local celebrity. But 

 they are not possessed of any immunity against the atlacks of 



