Cultivation of Arabk Land* Potatoes* Prefcrvation of Crops of. I lf&amp;gt; 



recourfe to pretty thick linings, of fuch fubfbnces as, while they refift the effect 

 of cold, have but little capacity for tranfmitting heat or abforbing moifture. 

 In this view, all forts of coarfe, woolly, or hairy materials, ftraw, fine fhavings, 

 faw-duft, and many other (imilar matters, may probably be made ufe of with ad 

 vantage. And on the principle of abforbing or taking away fuch putrid exhala 

 tions as may be generated among bodies thus clofely packed together, as well 

 as from its indeftructible nature, the coarfe powder of charcoal has been advifed. 

 This is firft to be applied over the roots to an inch or two in thicknefs, and after 

 wards layers of one or more of the other materials to fuch depths as may be fuf- 

 ficient to preferve them in the proper (late of temperature, and protect them 

 from froft.* The bufinefs of picing potatoes is managed in fomewhat a different 

 manner in different diftricts : in fomc the ground is excavated or hollowed out 

 to the depth of two, three, or more feet, and the potatoes deposited in the pit, 

 as well as piled up confiderably above it, fo as to terminate in a fort of point or 

 ridge ; in others they are only, however, piled up on the level furface in the lame 

 forms ; but whichever method is adopted, the cuftom is moftly to cover them 

 with dry ftraw, about five or fix inches in thicknefs, and afterwards apply over it a 

 good thick covering of earth, raifed from a trench dug out all round the heap, 

 and well beaten together by the back of the fpades, over the whole. It is like- 

 wife the practice in fome inftances to perforate the crufts or coverings of thefe re- 

 pofitories, both on the fides and about the tops, with fmall holes to the depth of 

 the ftraw, and at the diftances of about two yards from each other, in order to let any 

 noxious effluvia, that may have been extricated, efcape, but which are to be well 

 clofed as foon as this purpofe has been fully accomplifhed.f This would, how 

 ever, appear to be quite unneceffary where the potatoes have been put together in 

 a perfectly dry ftate, and the bruifed or wounded ones have been carefully 

 feparated from the reft ; but when the contrary is the cafe, the fluid difcharged 

 from them may have a tendency to bring on or run into fermentation, and thus in 

 jure fuch as come near or in contact with them. 



This mode of prefervation is, however, only adapted to fituations where the foils 

 are of a dry, gravelly, or fandy nature ; as the retention of moifture in thofe that 

 are of the more heavy kind muft conftantly endanger the fafety of the root. And 

 as even the drieft defcriptions of foils are apt, in particular inftances and feafons &amp;gt; 

 to become loaded with much humidity, it is probably the beft mode to fink the pics 

 as little as pofiible in all cafes, as in this way the rifk of injury may be lefs. 



It has been recommended, that the fituation of thefe repofitories fhoufcl be fuch, 

 asthatone of the ends may conftantly face the north, and that they bealways thatched 



Darwin s PHytologSa, p. 483, t Correfted Report of Lanca&iie. 



