258 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



Potatoes are almost invariably planted here in drills or furrows 

 about thirty inches apart. The furrow is first opened; the 

 manure laid in it ; the potato planted ; and the land reversed by 

 the plough, so as to cover the seed. They are then, just after 

 appearing above ground, often harrowed ; and, after getting to 

 some height, the harrow, or cultivator, is passed between the 

 rows ; and they are earthed up with a double mould-board plough, 

 or by a single plough passing twice in the furrow. When ready 

 to be dug. or, as it is here termed, lifted, a double mould-board 

 plough is passed down once, or a single plough twice, through 

 the row of potatoes ; those are picked up which are thrown out ; 

 and then the whole field is thoroughly harrowed, which brings 

 the remaining potatoes to the surface to be gathered. 



Two or three points seem to be well established here ; first, 

 that, in planting, it is better to use whole than cut sets ; that, 

 where they are cut, the seed end of the potato is more produc 

 tive than the opposite end, and, while the former is used for 

 planting, the latter may be saved for food ; and lastly, that the 

 crop is considerably increased by early plucking oft the blos 

 soms. I have already described the lazy-bed mode of cultiva 

 tion, and the large crops sometimes obtained, in my account of 

 the Agricultural School at Glasnevin. In general, however, the 

 crops are not large, not much exceeding two hundred and fifty 

 bushels to the acre, which, though a respectable, is certainly not 

 a great yield. Potatoes are raised largely for the market in 

 some places ; but, in passing through the country, the extent of 

 land under cultivation in potatoes appears comparatively small. 



I cannot join with Cobbett in his anathemas upon pota 

 toes, to which a learned agricultural professor here has lately 

 added the force of his denunciations, which are likely to fall 

 harmless under the power of habit and general taste. There 

 certainly can be found, as common consent seems to have estab 

 lished, no more agreeable, and no more nutritious esculent than 

 a well-cooked potato ; and under few crops will an acre of ground 

 yield more food for animals. The disease which has prevailed in 

 the potato the ravages of which have been so extensive and 

 alarming will, it is hoped, prove only a temporary evil, or some 

 effectual remedy against it be found. In Ireland, a large num 

 ber of the population, amounting to millions, depend, almost ex 

 clusively, upon the potato for subsistence. The ordinary allow 



