10 THE POTATO. 



liest crops; and Early Champion, Red-nose Kidney, Large 

 Kidney, Bread Fruit, Red Streak, or Lancashire Pink-eye, 

 Black Skin, and Red Apple for main crops. 



Potato Culture in the Forties. The cultivation 

 of the potato in the forties appears to have been well under- 

 stood, for most of the cultural details which are considered 

 of so much importance to-day were strongly urged as essen- 

 tial to success at that period. For instance, in regard to 

 the application of stable manure, it is advised to " spread 

 the manure over the surface previous to digging, rather than 

 put into the holes with the sets, or spread in the trench, 

 when they are so planted." There seems to have been a 

 diversity of opinion with regard to the size of the " sets " 

 used for planting. Some growers were in favour of the 

 largest and finest tubers planted whole; others, large 

 tubers cut into portions, with one or two eyes to each; 

 others, again, large tubers cut in halves; while some be- 

 lieved in using the shoots only, or in employing the parings 

 as sets. The author of the last-mentioned volume ex- 

 pressed his opinion, as the result of experiment, " that 

 moderate-sized sets, having two healthy buds or eyes, are 

 most advantageously employed ; middling-sized whole 

 potatoes are the best, from which all but the above num- 

 ber of eyes have been removed, but especially having the 

 crown, which is a congeries of small eyes always present, 

 first removed; for from these proceed an equal number of 

 little spindled stalks, which are comparatively worthless, 

 and injure the main stem. For the early crops, almost the 

 very contrary to the above is advantageous to be prac- 

 tised. The ' set ' should have the crown eye, which is 

 one growing in the centre of the congeries of small ones 

 above mentioned, preserved. Some potatoes have 

 two such eyes, but the generality only one. This is always 

 the most prompt to vegetate." The same author also re- 

 marks that " Cuttings of the stalks, five or six inches in 

 length, or rooted suckers, will be productive, if planted 

 during showery weather in May or June ; and during this 



