SOLANACEJE;. i. 



405 



soon after harvest ; and a second, and commonly a third, early 

 in spring ; the land is then laid up into ridglets, from 24 

 to 30 inches broad, as for turnips, and manured in the same 

 manner. 



The best manure for the potatoe appears to be littery farm- 

 yard dung; and the best mode of applying it, immediately 

 under the potatoe sets. Any manure may be applied ; and no 

 plant will bear a larger quantity of it, or thrive in coarser or less 

 prepared manure. 



The season of planting early potatoes in the fields depends 

 much on the soil. Where the soil is very dry, the potatoe sets 

 may be planted in March ; but for a full crop April is the best 

 time. Potatoes, indeed, are often planted in the end of May, or 

 even in June ; but the crops, although often as abundant, are 

 neither so mellow or mature as when the sets are planted in 

 April or in the first 8 or 10 days in May. 



The time of cutting the sets should always be some days 

 before planting, that the wounds may dry up ; and no harm will 

 result from performing the operation several weeks beforehand, 

 provided the sets are not exposed too much to the drought. 

 The sets ought to be large, rarely smaller than the fourth part 

 of the potatoe. At all events, rather err in giving over large 

 sets, than in making them too small ; because by the first error, 

 no great loss can be sustained, whereas, by the other, a feeble 

 and late crop may be the consequence. 



The modes of planting the potatoe are various ; but the best 

 modes are either to plant them by dibber on a plane surface in 

 rows, or by spade in digging, or in drills, in the manner of 

 turnips. 



The after culture of potatoes consists in harrowing, hoeing, 

 weeding, and earthing up. All potatoes require to be earthed 

 up, extending 6 or 7 inches round their stem. The reason of 

 this is, that the tubers do not, properly speaking, grow under 

 the soil, but rather on, or partially bedded in its surface. The 

 earth iray be thrown up by a spade, draw-hoe, or with a small 

 plough, drawn by one horse. Pinching off the whole of the po- 

 tatoe blossoms is a part of after culture not unworthy of the 

 attention of the farmer, for the reasons given by Mr. Knight. 



A mode of taking part of the crop suited to cottagers and 

 others, especially in years of scarcity, deserves to be mentioned. 

 Having ascertained that some of the tubers have attained an 

 eatable size, go along the rows, and loosen the earth about each 

 plant with a blunt stick, taking 2 or 3 of the largest tubers from 

 each plant, and returning the earth carefully. By this means 

 the tubers which remain will increase in size, having now the 

 nourishment destined to complete the growth of those re- 

 moved. 



Potatoes intended for seed should be taken up a fortnight or 3 

 weeks before fully ripe, for the reasons already given under 

 garden culture. 



Potatoes are stored and preserved in houses, cellars, pies, and 

 camps. Whatever mode is adopted, it is essential that the 

 tubers be perfectly dry, otherwise they are certain of rotting ; 

 and a few rotten potatoes will contaminate a whole mass. Put- 

 ting them into close houses, and covering them well up with 

 straw, is the most effectual mode, and that which is generally 

 adopted. In some parts of Scotland, it is a common practice to 

 dig pits in the potatoe-field, when the soil is dry and light, and 

 putting in potatoes to the depth of 3 or 4 feet, to lay a little dry 

 straw over them, and then cover them up with earth, so deep 

 that no frost can affect them. Another method, which is prac- 

 tised in England as well as in Scotland, is to put them together 

 in heaps, and cover them up with straw, and afterwards cover 

 with earth, and so closely packed together as to exclude frost. 

 Dry weather is absolutely necessary in storing potatoes, as they 



do not keep well when stored in a wet state ; and all cut pota- 

 toes should be carefully picked out. Pieing is also a good 

 means of preserving potatoes, which is described under garden 

 culture. Several other modes of preserving potatoes are in use 

 in different places. Capping is a method similar to pieing. 



The produce of the polatoe varies from 5 to 8, and sometimes 

 1 or 1 2 tons per acre ; the greatest produce is from the yam, 

 which has been known to produce I,? tons, or 480 bushels per 

 acre. The haulm is of no use but as manure, and is very gene- 

 rally burned for that purpose, being slow of rotting. 



The application of the potatoe crop is of the greatest import- 

 ance as human food ; and is the only root grown in Britain 

 which may be eaten every day in the year, without satiating the 

 palate ; they are, therefore, the only substitute that can be used 

 for bread, with any degree of success, and indeed they often 

 enter largely into the composition of the best loaf bread, without 

 at all either injuring its nutr'tive qualities or flavour. 



Among the extraordinary applications of the potatoe may be 

 mentioned cleansing woollens, and making an ardent spirit. 



Cleansing noollens. The refuse of potatoes used in making 

 starch when taken from the sieve, possesses the property of 

 cleansing woollen cloths, without hurting their colour ; and the 

 water decanted from the starch powder is excellent for cleansing 

 silks without the smallest injury to the colour. 



Wine of considerable quality may be made from frosted pota- 

 toes, if not so frosted as to have become soft and waterish. 



Ardent spirits. Potatoes that have been injured by the frost 

 produce a greater quantity of spirit, and of a much finer quality 

 than those that are fresh ; they require a proportion of malt- 

 wash to promote the fermentation. About one-fourth part of 

 malt-worts, or wash, ought to be fermented at least 6 hours be- 

 fore the potatoe-wash is joined to it; otherwise the potatoe- 

 wash, having an aptitude to ferment, will be ripe for the still be- 

 fore the malt- wash is ready ; hence the effect will be to generate 

 an acid which renders the spirit coarse, and when diluted with 

 water, of a milky or bluish colour. When the spirit is strong, 

 the acid is held in solution, but appears as above when diluted 

 with water. (Farmer's Mag. 17. p. 325.) 



In the application of potatoes as food for lite stock, they are 

 often joined with hay, straw, chaff, and other similar matters ; 

 and have been found useful in many cases, in the later winter 

 months, as food for horses, cows, and other sorts of live stock. 

 With these substances, as well as in combination with other ma- 

 terials, as bean or barley-meal, and pollard, they are used in the 

 fattening of neat cattle, sheep, and hogs. Potatoes are most 

 nutritious when boiled ; they were formerly cooked in this way, 

 but are now very generally steamed, especially in the North. 

 The practice has been carried to the greatest extent by Curwen 

 in feeding horses. He gives to each daily 1-| stone of potatoes, 

 mixed with a tenth of cut straw. An acre of potatoes, he consi- 

 ders, goes as far in this way as four of hay. 120 stones of pota- 

 toes require 2 bushels of coals to steam them. The baking of 

 potatoes in an oven has also been tried with success. They are 

 also given raw to stock of every description, to horses and hogs 

 washed, but not washed to cows or oxen. Washing was for- 

 merly a disagreeable and tedious business ; but it is now ren- 

 dered an easy matter, whether on a large or small scale, by the 

 use of the washing machine. 



Frosted potatoes may be applied to various useful purposes ; 

 for food by thawing in cold water, or being pared, then thawed, 

 and boiled with a little salt. Salt and saltpetre, chaff, or bruised 

 oats, boiled with them, will render them fit food for cattle, 

 swine, poultry, &c. Starch and paste for weavers, book- 

 binders, and shoemakers, may be made from them, when too 

 sweet to be rendered palatable. 



