30* FARMERS ASSISTANT. 



should afterwards rise, they should be cut up with the hoc, 

 so that none be allowed to go to seed in the Fall. 



As soon as the blossoms appear, they should all be taken 

 off; as this, by experiments which have been accurately 

 made in Massachusetts, is found very considerably to in- 

 crease the crop. 



For gathering the crop, the most expeditious way is, first 

 to run furrows on each side ot the rows, and then a pretty 

 deep one through the middle, which turns up most ol the 

 roots to the surface, for the purpose of picking up by hund. 

 A fork, with four prongs, is very good for going over tne 

 ground, for bringing up those to the surface which remain 

 covered. A fork of this description, with the addition of 

 what may be called a fulcrum, fastened, by pivot, to the 

 back part of the handle, near its lower end, is an exceltnt 

 implement for raising potatoes, without the aid ot the 

 plough. 



The fork is run under the potatoes ; and then, by rais- 

 ing up the handle, the fulcrum, turning on its pivot, is 

 brought in a perpendicular direction, with its lower end to 

 the ground; when, by pressing down the handle, the fork 

 becomes a lever, and the potatoes, with the earth enclosing 

 them, are raised up ; when, by shaking the mass, the earth 

 falls first, and the potatoes remain mostly on the surface. 

 Those remaining covered, are readily disclosed by the 

 prongs of the fork, 



We have thought proper to describe, in detail, this me- 

 thod of raising the potatoe-crop, from a conviction of its 

 superiority, as well in saving labor, as in obtaining the 

 greatest product from the ground. The methods commonly 

 pursued, in this Country, are too well known to need any 

 description. 



A Planter, of North-carolina, lately sent some Potatoes to 

 the Westindies, for market ; a part of which were dried in 

 the sun, in the usual way, and a part were laid away in 

 moist or wet sand, as fast as they were dug; and, when ex- 

 hibited for sale, h obtained three times the amount, per 

 bushel, for those laid in sand, that he got for the others. 



We mention this circumstance, in order to observe that 

 such potatoes, as are designed for the table, should be 

 laid away in wet sand, as fast as they are taken from the 

 earth. 



We have had occasion, by way of experiment, to plant 

 rows of hills, alternately, of the very smallest, and of the 

 largest) potatoes; each being selected for the purpose, and 

 one potatoe planted whole in each hill. At the same time, 

 a row of hills was planted with two whole potatoes to each 

 Mill ; and the result of the whole was as follows : 



