Cultivation of Arable Land. Potatoes. Method? of Planting of. 1 05 



planting fuch young plants as have come up by chance on grounds that have 

 had potatoes, or been prepared for the purpofe in beds of rich earth and dung. 



And it is indeed afferted to have been found by experiments attentively made, 

 that planting the feed on moderate-fized dunghills for about three weeks 

 before they are put into the ground, renders them forwarder by five or fix 

 weeks than in the ordinary manner, and that the heat afforded by the dung 

 fecms to communicate a healthy vigour to the plants that is maintained during 

 the whole of their after-growth.* 



But as much injury muft conftantly be done to the (hoots of the plants in the 

 operation of taking them up, and as roots of the potatoe kind feldom grow very 

 well after being removed, it is probable that fuch a method of planting can fcarce- 

 ly ever be adopted with advantage, except in filling up the rows when defective, 

 or in procuring more early crops, whether in the field or garden culture of the 

 root. 



In whatever method potatoe crops are put into the earth, experience mews that 

 it is neceflary that care be taken not to plant the fets to too great a depth, as the 

 potatoe hasaconftant tendency to rife towards the furface; four or five inches is 

 moftly fufficientinall the drier forts of foil, and in thofe of the more moid and 

 heavy nature lefs may be proper. 



There is another circumflance that deferves great attention in the planting of 

 this moft ufeful vegetable ; which is that of the fets, of whatever kind they may 

 be, being depofited in or covered by fuch mould as is in a fine Hate of mellownefs 

 and pulverifation : as, where the earth by which they arc furrounded is in a lumpy 

 and unbroken condition, the crops are never fo fine or productive. In proof of 

 this, a ftriking fa&amp;lt;5l has been recorded by a correfpondent of the Board of Agri 

 culture, who on viewing a crop of about three quarters of an acre, planted by a 

 gardener of the name of Watt, near Leicefter, remarked that an eighth-part of it 

 was at lead fix inches higher than the other. On enquiry it was found that the 

 land, which was of an equal quality throughout, was all prepared by digging in 

 the fame manner, had an equal proportion of manure applied to it, the fets being 

 of the fame fort, and moft of them planted the fame day, the only difference 

 being, that on the part in which the crop was the rnofl full and luxuriant, the 

 planting was performed in drills made by a hand-hoe about a foot afunder, while 

 the other, by accident, were put in by the dibble at the fame diilance. The fu- 

 periority of the drilled over the dibbled part was eafily perceptible during the 

 whole of the fummer, and to the period of taking the crop up, when it was ncar- 



* Farmer s JNIggazine, vol. III. p. 142. 

 VOL. II. P 



