Ch. XXII.] ON POTATOES. 263 



that, considering the great quantity of nutritive matter wliicli it extracts 

 from the earth, it cannot — reasonincj analogically — be viewed in any other 

 liglit than as a very serious drain upon the vegetative powers of the land ; 

 and numberless experiments have sliown that, wlien planted a second time 

 without manure, the crop has been sensibly diminished*. There can, liow- 

 ever, be little doubt, that if the produce be consumed by stall-fed cattle, 

 and the dung be laid upon the land, it will then be in a proportionate degree 

 renovated, as well as improved by the friable state in which it will be left 

 by the labour bestowed upon the crop. When this is done, or when extraneous 

 manure can be obtained, it is tlierefore generally viewed as a fallow crop, 

 in consequence of the attention necessarily paid to its culture, and is not 

 unusually made to precede wheat, which is then sown upon one ])loughing. 

 With some persons this, indeed, is a favourite practice ; but we believe the 

 experience of most farmers proves that the land is never left in so clean a 

 Btate after potatoes as after turnips f. 



CULTURE. 



Potatoes are cultivated both by tlie spade and, in tlie common course of 

 farming, by the plough. In the latter method, the land, if tenacious, 

 should be ploughed early in the autumn; though, if light, the operation had 

 better be deferred until after the winter rains, and should be prepared pre- 

 vious to the planting, in all respects in the same manner as if intended to 

 be sown with turnips, Tlie sets are laid in rows either by the drill or 

 dibble ; but the manure, which is in that case well decomposed, should, in 

 this, consist of long stable dung, laid on at the same time, unless the soil 

 be very light and sandy : but when previously worked into the ground, tlien 

 spit-dung should be employed. The quantity should also be at least as 

 much; and indeed, in many instances, more is used. It has, however, 

 been remarked that, although a large quantity of dung increases the pro- 

 duce of the crop, yet, when intended for table consumption, it injures the 

 quality. It is thought of considerable utility, when the young plants appear 

 above ground, to plough the earth from the rows, and then spread slacked 

 lime evenly over the whole surface to the amount of about sixty bushels to 

 the acre, then, after a few days, returning the earth to the roots and mould- 

 ing them up X '• it is, however, impossible to draw accurate conclusions 

 from the effects of various kinds of manure when applied to soils of differ- 

 ent natures. Many sorts of manure and composts have been tried and 

 found effective in proportion to their respective powers of affording nutri- 

 ment; but dung is found superior to every other kind, though of course its 

 powers may be increased by other mixtures §. 



The ti?}ie of planting is usually during the montli of April ; and, in cold 



* Rep. of tlie Board of Agile, p. 45. 



f At Aveley, and other parts bordering on the Thames, the wheat-stubbles are very 

 commonly sown for rye and spring food, after which the land is ploughed for potatoes ; 

 which are then said to be highly ameliorating: Essex Rep. vol. i. p. 396 ; but the 

 situation admits of procuring manure from London by water-carriage. In Mitldlesex, 

 they generally precede wheat. Rep. 2d Kd. p. 2J2 ; also in IMid- Lothian, p. 59 ; and 

 Tweeddale, p. 2L In the Isle of Man, in good land, the rotation is, however, potatoes, 

 barley, clover, p. 30 ; and in Lancashire, a plan has been successfully followed in the 

 planting potatots and turnips during a succession of years, f . 31. 



I Dickson's Lancash., p. 373. 



^ See vol. i. chaps, x. and xi. p. 267. One of the comparative experiments made by 

 Arthur Young showed the acreable produce of potatoes was increased in the following 

 proportions : — 



By 160 bush, of lime worked into the land, from 400 bush, to 480 bush. 

 By 430 galls, of urine added to the dung-heap, 400 ; , , 520 , , 



Ann, of Agric. vol. ix. p. 692. 



