THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 57 



Two important modes of cultivating this most 

 valuable root, claim the particular attention of 

 the farmer, who is in earnest, and regards the 

 best interest of his farm. The first is as a fallow 

 crop. Many years experience enables me to say, 

 that land which will produce 8 or 10 bushels of 

 rye, will produce 100 bushels of potatoes ; the dif- 

 ference of expense between one ploughing and two 

 hoeings, for an acre of potatoes, exclusive of the 

 seed and digging, and two ploughings for a fallow, 

 is not very great; the profit is 100, 150, or 200 bush- 

 els of potatoes, according to the quality of the soil ; 

 with the assurance, that the grain crop will rather be 

 increased than diminished by the potatoe fallow, pro- 

 vided the potatoes are dug, and the rye sown, early 

 in the month of September, or the wheat before the 

 1st of October, which may always be done with the 

 English whites, if planted before the 20th of June. 

 The true value of this mode of tillage, will consist in 

 the increased quantity of stock it will enable the 

 farmer to keep, and the increased value which he 

 may derive from his manure from this stock in his 

 general tillage. Potatoes, when planted on the same 

 ground successively more than 2 years, will not do 

 well ; but when used as a fallow crop will continue 

 to do well. 



The second mode alluded to as above, is, that 

 clover lands, or even English-sward, after the first 

 cutting, may be turned over, and planted with pota- 

 toes, with assurance of a good crop, provided the 

 land be in good heart, and the seed of the English 

 whites, and the planting be finished between the 1st 

 and 20th of July, with one or two hoeings, as the sea- 

 son may require. This mode of tillage, gives the 

 farmer not only a double profit upon his ground, but 

 a double advantage in keeping his stock, and pre- 

 pares his ground for a spring crop, as he may choose; 

 or he may even sow wheat to advantage after the po- 

 tatoes, if the sward is not too stiff. 



Although the potatoe originated in America, and 



