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Art. VIII. 



On Planting Potatoe Sirs, 



Extrafled from a Letter to the Secretary. 



[By John Harvey Pierce, efq.] 



A S potatoes are now become fuch an important 

 "* ^ objeft of culture, almoft every improvement, 

 though apparently trifling, may be thought to de- 

 ferve attention j I will not therefore let flip this op- 

 portunity of communicating to you a mode of cover- 

 ing with dung my Potatoe Sets, lefl: I fliould forget it 

 the enfuing fpring. If you think they may be ufeful, 

 make what ufe of it you pleafe. The potatoe fets 

 (with two eyes each) are cut about a fortnight be- 

 fore planting. As I never had one curled, I think the 

 cutting fo long before prevents the evil. A few days 

 before I plant, the dung is fpread over the ground, 

 then with a double-board plough a furrow is made, and 

 the fets put in about ten inches afunder by children; 

 women and men follow with an implement made 

 with a piece of board 3qrs. of an inch thick, 4 inches 

 deep, and 15 long; a handle is fixed to the board 

 in the fame manner as to a common hay-rake; with 

 this implement the dung is puflied into the furrow, 

 on the fets; fo that all the dung for about 22 inches 

 parallel with the furrow is applied. The plough 

 then goes back and covers the dung; afterwards two 

 other furrowz are made; thus, planting at every third 



furrow" 



