260 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. XXII. 



comforts of the working classes, and cannot be looked upon in any other 

 light than as a special boon of Providence. Indeed, whether considered 

 as the food of man or beast, it may be regarded in every sense as being, 

 after corn, the most valuable of our vegetable productions ; and if to this 

 be added the facility with which it is reared in every part of the kingdom, 

 it certainly forms a most important branch of our rural industry. 



SPECIES AND SOIL. 



The potato plant grows with a large quantity of coarse spongy haulm, 

 which generally rises to the height of about two feet, but in some species 

 is higher, and in others more diminutive, and usually bears white or 

 purplish flowers. The root, or tuber — which is the edible jiart — grows 

 under ground, of irregular form and size ; but the haulm carries a small 

 fruit, called the " apple," about the size and appearance of a green plum, 

 which turns nearly black when ripe, and contains many seeds from 

 which the plant can be propagated. These, if sown, produce generally 

 different kinds of potatoes ; and as experiments are daily made for the 

 ])urpose of procuring new sorts, their names and descriptions are number- 

 less. The process is, however, very tedious, as well as the quality uncer- 

 tain, and as crops of approved species can be immediately grown by planting 

 the tubers, that is the plan always adopted by farmers. It has been sup- 

 posed that every portion of a potato will grow into a plant, but this is a mis- 

 take ; for only those spots, or "eyes," which appear upon the root will 

 vegetate ; and it is, therefore, either planted whole or divided into cuttings. 

 It is to be observed, that wherever the terms " seed," or " sowing," occur 

 in this account of the culture of the potato, it is meant to designate the 

 sets, or tubers ; and not the real seed gathered from the apples. 



Those most commonly cultivated as field-crops, are — various kinds of the 

 " kidney potato," which requires a good soil, and will hardly grow in poor 

 land. The " Cumberland and the Lancashire white," the " purple-streaked,'' 

 which are early, grow large, and produce abundantly. The " Scotch dun," 

 the " ])ink-eyes," the " golden dun," or " coppernose," which, though not 

 very ])roductive, are very early, and highly esteemed for the table. The 

 " Perthshire red," which is an excellent late potato, extensively cultivated 

 in that county, and the only kind shipped from thence for the London 

 market ; being a good keeper, fine flavoured, and generally prolific. The 

 " Wellington ;" the "cluster;" the " champion ;" the " ox-noble ;" and 

 both the white and red " Surinam" produce the largest quantities of nutritive 

 matter for the support of cattle ; though the ox-noble is apt to grow hollow, 

 and is very coarse food, upon which the beasts thrive but slowly : there is 

 also the " yam," which may be grown upon poor soils, but is entirely unfit 

 for human food. The " Munster," the " Connaught cups," the red and white 

 " apple," the red-nosed and the white " kidney," are favourite sorts in Ireland, 

 being very productive, mealy, and pleasant to the palate ;* but when intended 

 for the supply of the town-markets, the taste of the consumers must be con- 

 sidered as governing the price, and thereby regulating the profit of their 

 growth. The following are table-varieties of six superior qualities, of the 

 produce of which, upon twenty square yards planted in the second week of 

 March, under garden culture, an account has been lately jjresented to the 

 Highland Societyj: namely — 



* A large species, which is described as yellow, mealy, and j?ood, has also been lately 

 hrought from the Continent, and cultivated in the garden of the Loudon Horticultural 

 Society, under the name of" ladivergente." 



I Trans, of the Soc. N. S, vol, iv. p. 4y, 



