1(H Cultivation of Arable Land. Potatoes Me thods of planting of. 



There is ft ill another mode of planting the potatoe by thcfpade; which is 

 hat of forming the ground into beds of about fix or feven feet in width, ac 

 cording as the land may abound or be deficient in moifture, three or four feet 

 on each fide being left to be dug for trenches. The furface of the bed is then 

 to be dug over, and a fuitable proportion of manure applied equally over it, 

 the fets are then planted upon it at fimilar diftances to thefe juft mentioned, and 

 covered by means of the mould dug from the fide trenches, to the depth &quot;of three 

 or four inches. In fertile good flapled foils, from the roots of the plants hav 

 ing plenty of loofe mould to fix and extend themfelves in, in this method of 

 planting good crops are often produced ; but on the poor and thin forts of 

 foil it is a mode that can feldom be attempted with fuccefs. It is perhaps the 

 bed adapted to fuch lands as are inclined to the retention of moifture, as in 

 fuch the largenefs of the trenches has the effect of removing the injuries arif- 

 ing from the flagnation of water about the roots of the plants. This is gene* 

 rally termed the lazy-led method of planting. 



Where the (hoots of the potatoes are made ufe of as fets, it has beeji advifed 

 to place them in half-drills, or fuch as are made by throwing the earth off on 

 one fide only, which may be formed by the fpade, or even by a very fmall 

 plough contrived for the purpofe, at the diftance of eight or ten inches from 

 each other, after being carefully picked from off the potatoes, and feven or 

 eight inches apart in the rows, the root of the moot being put downwards. 

 This may be performed by children. A fmall proportion of dung is then to be 

 laid thinly over them, and the earth from the fides of the drills lightly drawn 

 over them, fo as to guard them againft any froft that may happen. When 

 they have thrown out leaves, and are about four inches above the ground, an 

 other covering is to be.given, fo as to leave about two inches above the furface; 

 and as they advance in growth, continue to cover them in this manner, till the 

 earth between the ridges raifes the drills at lead twelve or fourteen inches in 

 height. Shoots that are employed in this way mould be ftrong and vigorous, 

 about fix inches in length, and planted while frefh and in a flate of perfect 

 growth. The moots may be preferved for planting by taking them off from 

 the potatoes, either all at once or occasionally as they are ufed, without bruif- 

 ing and laying them crofTways upon each other, a light covering of earth being 

 placed over them. In this way they may be kept a month or fix weeks till the 

 land is ready for their reception.* 



It has likewife been fuggefted, that crops of this fort may be raifed by tranf- 



* Commercial and Agricultural Magazine, vol. VI. 



