POTATO. 85 



the age and care bestowed. Taste and try in time, so as to 

 have them done to a nicety. 



The Sugar Peas have no inner tough film, or skin, to the 

 pods, like the common sorts ; they should therefore be boiled 

 without shelling, and served up the same as Kidney Beans. 



POTATO. 

 POMME DE TERRE. Solatium Tiiberosum. 



THE Potato is known to be a native of the southern parts 

 of America, but has been greatly improved by cultivation. 



The varieties being very numerous, it is unnecessary for 

 me to point out any particular kinds ; some of the earliest 

 should, however, be planted first in the spring, to produce 

 young Potatoes in due season ; but they are not so suitable 

 for a full crop as the late varieties. 



Potatoes being of such extensive utility, various expedients 

 have been contrived with a view to find out the best method 

 of preparing the seed. In many parts of England, (where 

 Potatoes equal to any in the world are raised,) the farmers 

 seldom plant them whole ; they take the Potatoes as they 

 come to hand, and in cutting them, take care to have two 

 good eyes in each set; the small Potatoes are deprived of 

 the sprout or nose end, as it is generally considered that a 

 redundancy of eyes exhausts the set, and produces weak 

 plants, which are not calculated to yield a full crop. I have 

 frequently known from five to six hundred bushels raised 

 from an acre with small Potatoes alone cut in this way. 

 Some prefer planting the sets immediately after they are 

 cut ; the better way is to get them cut a week before the 

 time of planting, and to lay them out on a barn, or garret 

 floor, to dry. 



It will require from twelve to sixteen bushels of Potatoes 

 to plant an acre of ground, according to the size and naturo 



8 



