74 

 POTATOES. 



POMME BE TERRE. Solanum tuberosum. 



THE Potatoe is known to be a native of the Southern part 

 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 smalKPotatoes 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 nature 

 of the seed roots, the manner of preparing, and mode of 

 planting the same. 



Potatoes may be planted from the first week in April until 

 July, either in hills or drills ; the best way for a garden is to 

 plant them in drills four or five inches deep, and about 

 thirty inches asunder ; the sets may be dropped six or eight 

 inches apart; and if a small quantity of combmaker's horn 

 shavings or sea weed, be used as a manure for the early 

 kinds, it will expedite their growth ; the ground should be 

 hoed as soon as the plants come up, and as they progress- in 

 growth, it will be proper to mould or earth them up twice. 



