364 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



It is a very great point to bring the earliest potatoes into the 

 market, and I have seen them offered in Covent Garden Market 

 as early as March. Indeed, by a method which I will presently 

 explain, there would be little difficulty in having them at the 

 coming in of the new year. In Penzance, in Cornwall, at the 

 very south of England, where there are some parcels of most 

 excellent soil, and great skill in its cultivation, where the winter 

 is open and the climate very mild, and where, for this purpose, 

 land is let at twenty pounds, or one hundred dollars per acre, 

 large supplies of early vegetables, potatoes especially, are raised 

 for the London markets. In this case, they are sprouted under 

 and upon warm horse-dung, or under glass ; and are planted as 

 early as February, and carefully attended, pains being taken to 

 select the earliest kinds. The mode of sprouting them in this 

 case is similar to that adopted by the excellent and spirited cul 

 tivators at West Cambridge, near Boston, where the sets are 

 started, under a bed of fresh horse-dung, on the sunny and pro 

 tected side of a hill. 



I will here quote the directions of the celebrated Mr. Knight, 

 president of the Horticultural Society, for raising early potatoes ; 

 which, it is obvious, can be applicable only to our mild and south 

 ern latitudes, where the winters are open. 



&quot; Drills may be formed in a warm and sheltered situation, and 

 in the direction of north and south, during any of the winter 

 months, two feet apart, and seven or eight inches deep. Stable- 

 dung, half decomposed, should be laid in the drills, and com 

 bined with the earth four inches downwards, and covered with 

 some of the mould which had been thrown out in forming the 

 drills, by the rake, to within four inches of the surface. The 

 sets uncut are then to be placed, with the cro-wn-eye uppermost, 

 in the centre of the furrow, four inches from each other, and to 

 be covered with only an inch of mould at first, and afterwards 

 with an occasional quantity of sifted ashes, until the plants are 

 so vigorous and advanced as to require the usual earthing, of 

 which, however, very little is necessary.&quot; Mr. Knight also used 

 leaves as a lining at the side of the drills, in the early periods, to 

 preserve as much warmth as possible, and better to guard against 

 the effects of frost. The soil in this case should be light and 

 dry, and not tenacious of water. It is recommended by some 

 gardeners, early in the season, to lay the sets upon a floor in a 



