Ch. XXII.] ON POTATOES. 27V 



These and other trials, indeed, afford presumptive evidence that sets cut 

 from full grown, healthy tubers, are as productive as the whole root ; for 

 although it is recorded as the opinion of the President of the Society, 

 founded upon a great variety ©f experiments carried on during a long series 

 of years, "that the heaviest crops of potatoes, and those most profitable to 

 the grower, will in most soils and seasons be obtained from tubers of con- 

 siderable weight, and will be found least subject to decay in wet and cold 

 springs ; he, however, thinks it extremely probable tliat, when the soil is 

 very dry, so as to preclude all grounds of fear of the cuttings decaving, 

 more regular and better rows of plants might be obtained from single eyes 

 placed at short distances, with a moderately large portion of the matter of 

 the tuber, than the whole tubers." 



It may also be observed that tlie eyes or beads, — which appear like spots 

 upon the skin of the potato — are of ditferent kinds ; those at one end being- 

 more prolific than the other; yet, when planted in sets, some farmers cut 

 off both ends, only making use of the part in the middle, while others cut 

 it longitudinally — from "nose to tail" — and set both halves indiscriminately; 

 and many scoop out the eyes and plant them singly. The stems which 

 spring from that end of the potato into which the fibre which connected 

 it with the mother plant, and from which the potato itself is grown, germi- 

 nate but feebly, and do not attain the same size as those which are found 

 upon the other end, which may be seen by looking at potatoes in the spring, 

 when they begin to bud : those which sprinij from the top end, having far 

 greater vigour and luxuriance than those which spring from the root end *. 



It is indeed a point which deserves very serious attention ; and, as the 

 other portions of the potato can always be used for other purposes, it 

 should never be neglected. Instead, however, of sowing single eyes, we 

 should rather recommend the use of the entire cluster of buds which will be 

 found on the top-end, or nose, of the tuberf. 



PLANTING. 



We must further remark, that, whether planted whole or in sets, the roots 

 should not be taken up, when intended for that purpose, before the haulm 

 is withered ; so as to allow the roots to reach a state of perfect maturity. 

 This, indeed, merits peculiar attention ; for it has been stated in the 

 report of a county celebrated for the growth of potatoes, that they 



* The upper or nose end, althoui^h the most watery part of the potato, should be pre- 

 ferred, as the roots produced from it have been found to become sooner ripe, and to be 

 of better quahty than those j^rown from the bottom. — Farm. Mag. vol. xviii, p. 27. 



" In every field of potatoes which I have ever seen, where the cuttings for seed 

 were taken from both ends indiscriminately, some of the stems grow with much more 

 vigour than others; which proceeds, I believe, in nine cases out of ten, from planting 

 weak Sets cut from the root end of the potato." — Ayton's Surv. of Ayrsh. \\ 280. Mr. 

 Knight says that '• the buds which vegetate from the lov/er sides of the tubers produce 

 feeble stems." — Trans, of the Hort. Soc. 



f Instruments have been made lor scooping out the eyes for the purpose of saving a 

 portion of the pulp for ordinary consumption ; and three potatoes, weighing 10^ oz. have 

 weighed 3 oz. after twenty scoops have been extracted from the three. A considerable 

 saving is thus made in the quantity to be planted : but, according to an experiment 

 made by the Rev. Charles Findlater, Surveyor of Peebleshire. upon scoopings and cut- 

 tings ])lanted in alternate drills, the whole of which -came to periectiou, the plants from, 

 the scoDpings were dwarfish, and the produce only haif the weight of the cuttings. — 

 Farm. Mag. vol. iii. p. 103. In other trials, however, little difference has been observed ; 

 but in some they have entirely failed. The latter circumstance may, not iinprobally, 

 be attributed to the eye cut from the scoop not being enveloped in a sufficiency of pulp 

 to preserve it from decay iu ceitaiu soils and seubons, ere it has time to vegetate. 



