272 BRITISH HUSBANDRY. [Ch. XXII. 



slioukl be gathered before they are quite ripe*. We believe, however, it 

 will be found that they cannot be too ripe ; for it cannot but have occurred 

 to the observation of every farmer who has paid attention to the subject, 

 that those stray roots which are unavoidably left in the ground when the 

 crop is cleared, invariably produce the most vigorous shoots in the ensuing 

 year. The reason of which is thus explained by Mr. Andrews, who, in 

 1834, received a premium from the Royal Dublin Society, for the best 

 essay on the failure of potato crops. 



"The potato lying in the ground during the winter becomes perfectly 

 matured, retains its juices, is preserved from fermentation, and germinates 

 at the natural season ; and we have found that the plant proceeding from 

 it is luxuriant and healthy. Under our treatment the tuber is taken up 

 immature ; it has, therefore, a greater tendency to fermentation, from its 

 juices being more crude. It is heaped up in large quantities, in close 

 houses or pits, and these large heaps increase the tendency to fermentation. 

 The time of planting is protracted beyond the natural period of germination, 

 and the tubers become exhausted by germinating in the pits'; and when at 

 last committed to the ground, they are frequently planted in mould which 

 has become dried up, and not unfrequently placed in manure which is also 

 dry and withered, from improper separation or neglect ; and are sometimes 

 put into the ground so rough and ill prepared, that the air is freelv admitted 

 to the seed, to dry up any moisture that may remain. If seed be perfectly 

 sound and uninjured, it may be able to surmount the obstacles which im- 

 proper management at the time of [)lanting opposes to its germination ; but 

 when injured and its powers of germination weakened, it may fail to over- 

 come them," which views are strictly in accordance with the observations 

 of the majority of the numerous communications which have been recently 

 made on the subject to the Highland Society, in consequence of a medal 

 offered by them for the best treatise on the subjectf. 



In order also to ascertain the effect of planting the tubers and sets at 

 difierent distances, a great number of experiments were made by the Lon- 

 don Horticuliural Society, with several varieties, upon pieces of ground of 

 various measurement : thus — 



1. A plot of ground was divided into squares of four feet, in the 

 centre of each of which was planted a whole tuber, a single eye, a set 

 containing three eyes, and the whole surface of a tuber pared off so as 

 to leave the eyes safe, but to remove the centre — a practice which is 

 not uncommon in Scotland and Ireland. The result of which proved to 

 be, in thirteen cases out of sixteen, in favour of the single eves as com- 

 pared with tubers ; in nine cases out of sixteen, in favour of single eyes 

 as compared with sets containing three eyes; an^., in ten cases out of 

 sixteen, in favour of single eyes as compared with parings. 



2. Eiglit different wliole tubers were planted in a row eight feet 

 long and two feet distance from each other, and the result showed, 

 " that in those varieties which were of very strong growth, ])roducing 

 large plants, the first plan, at wide distances, was the best ; but, when 

 the varieties were weak or of a dwarfish kind, the lesser distances 

 were the most productive. Thus it may be assumed that in every case 

 the difference will be in proportion to the vigour or debility of the 

 variety.'' 



It being, however, thought desirable to repeat the comparison of whole 



* Dickson and Stevenson's Rep. of Lancashire, p. 371. 

 t See Trans, of the Soc. N. S. Nos. xxix. and xxx. 



