in comparison with other manures. In seasons when 

 there is a fair amount of sunshine and shower, such 

 as keep the soil in a favourable condition of moisture, 

 the advantages of dung are not so plainly marked. 

 Unfortunately our climate is not so genial as could be 

 desired, and years when it is favourable are so conducive 

 to the growth of potatoes that such heavy yields are 

 obtained that prices are proportionately low and un- 

 remunerative. The years when the crop is most 

 profitable are those in which the yield is light, and 

 the proportion of potatoes of good quality is small. 

 Nothing has so injurious an effect on the quality as a 

 check during growth after the tubers have commenced 

 to form. When this occurs the portion of the tuber 

 which forms subsequently is never of the same quality 

 as that which had formed previously, and the cooking 

 properties are spoiled. In addition to this the out- 

 ward appearance of the potato suffers, as in the case 

 of kidney varieties it assumes an hour-glass or dumb- 

 bell shape. Round potatoes develop protuberances 

 which are unsightly, and denote inferior quality. In 

 the production of potatoes possessing good quality 

 there is nothing so important as to keep the tubers 

 steadily increasing in size; consequently, the value of 

 a good supply of dung in the land cannot well be 

 over-estimaced. 



The land is more readily worked to a proper state 

 of friability when it contains dung. The particles of 

 soil hang together less tenaciously when there is a 

 supply of vegetable matter in it. This lessens the 



