1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER. 



325 



to be raised into ridges; they decompose ma- 

 nures rapidly, and whatever organic substances 

 are applied to them in autumn, should be placed 

 some inches below the surface. It has been 

 shrewdly conjectured, that the straw to be con- 

 vened to manure ought, as far as is possible, to 

 be brought from land of an opposite qualily: 

 thiis, if it be intended to meliorate a poor and 

 sandy earth, the firmer should endeavor to oi)- 

 tain his straw from situations where the staple 

 is a strong or clayey loam. Fads are wanting to 

 establish the implied theory, but it merits investi- 

 gation. 



It was customary, as before observed, to keep 

 the sets till much of the moisture had evaporated, 

 and the substance became Haccid ; this drying is 

 perfectly needless, and may prove detrimental. 

 It has been a regular practice with me to plant as 

 wanted, fresh from tiie knife, row by row ; and 

 in order to absorb the moisture which exudes 

 from the divided cellular substance, and at the 

 same time to prevent the attacks of (jrubs and sub- 

 terraneous vermin, the set has fi'equently been dip- 

 ped into powdered lime, fine ashes, plaster ofParis 

 (gypsum), as conveniently at hand. The lime 

 has been recommended, and certainly no mischief 

 of any kind has resulted from the practice. My 

 potatoes, in garden, or field, have always done 

 well, excepting, as I stated, in one solitary instance, 

 of which the tbilowinof is a faithful narrative. 



A few potatoes, with a dark mulberry-coloured 

 skin, but extremely white pulp, were planted, as a 

 trial. From two or tliree, a number was raised 

 FulBciently to plant one row, in the spring of 1835. 

 On the same bed, and not tour feet distant, ano- 

 ther variety was set, at the same time, and in tlie 

 same way. The plants of both rose without fail- 

 ure ; but when the purples had attained the 

 lieight of six inches, the foliage lost the healthy 

 luie ; it first changed to a purplish-green, then 

 faded off to a sickly yellow. The ground was 

 hoed, lightened by the spade, and every common 

 means was resorted to, but vegetation could not 

 be stimulated — the plants died ; and at the season 

 of digging, not a vestige of a potato remained, — 

 the destruction was total. As every other variety 

 remained healthy, and yielded fairly, and as the 

 soil appeared in good condition througiiout the sea- 

 son, no one existing or traceable circumstance 

 tended in any degree lo elucidate the mystery. 



I have never seen nor heard of that variety 

 since ; and it is juSt possible, on the theory of Mr. 

 Knight, that its term of life was come, and extinc- 

 tion the consequence. 



Entire potatoes were used by me during two or 

 three seasons subsequent to the receipt of Mr. 

 Knight's specitiiens, and I selected tubers, of the 

 average weight o^ four ounces, always placing 

 thetn upright, and regulating the rows, and the 

 distance between the tubers, by the ordinary 

 height of the haulm. As the stems advanced, 

 earth was drawn against them, till at length it form- 

 ed complete ridges, a loot high on the two sides. 

 Good crops invariably resulted liom powerful and 

 healthy growth ; but tlie yield never correspond- 

 ed with the great bulk of seed-tubers plantetl, for 

 it averasred about a six-fold proportionate increase. 

 Thus, if 8 lb. were set in a row five vards long, the 

 crop produced would weigh about 48 lb. In" 1835 

 I adopted the practice of plantinix sets, with the ex- 

 ception of those varieties, early or medium, which 



are naturally liirnished with but ^evr eyes, situated 

 about tlie crown. I found the yield lo- be quite- 

 equal to that obtained from entire tubers, sa that 

 the weight saved was strictly an economy ofseed'- 

 stock. I believe this remark may be applied even 

 to ash-leaved kidneys, wherein the lower, or root- 

 ends, have very seldom an)' good eyes ; and that 

 of the rose ends, with an inch of the pulp of the 

 potato below, were cut as sets, two-thirds of the 

 substance of tubers might be saved lor the table ;, 

 but the experiment remains to be tried. P'roni- 

 the annexed statement of the plantings and pro- 

 ceeds of 1837, some opinions, however, may be 

 formed on the subject ; and if ash-leaved potatoes 

 can thus be economized, a considerable saving of 

 expense will be effected, as the dealers sometimes 

 demand ten or twelve shillings per bushel (often 

 not weighing above 52 lb.) for seed potatoes. 



Experiments of 1S37. 



1. A long, medium early potato, a variety of 

 kidney, which assumes curious twists, and curv- 

 ings. The tubers become very large occasionally, 

 but appear to be always of superior quality. This 

 potato IS good at any season, fi-om the time of 

 digging, in September, to June following. "^I'here 

 were planted, in trenches, 26 lb. of whole pota- 

 toes. 



12 lb. in the garden, between March 30, and 

 April 5. 



14 lb. in an orchard plot, April 6 to 8. 



The total yield from these 26 lb. was 354 lb. 



2. In the orchard, at different dates, between 

 April 8. and 24.— 



Early Shaws, chiefly cut sets of 4 oz. tubers, 

 two and three eyes, timed : a f^iw 2 oz. whole 

 tubers, were used separately — total 30 lb. 



The crop was digged, November 6. — weighed 

 520 lb. 



3. Downton Yams. — (Knight's). The seed 

 from three or four years succession, in my own 

 garden, or field. Cut into two and three eyed sets, 

 22 1b. 12 oz. 



The crop digged at the same period as the shaws 

 —215 lb. 



4. Early Champions. — Their first crop, being 

 an exchange with a person whose soil is extremely 

 diHerent fiom mine. Sets cut by division of the 

 tubers Irom the crown to root end, picking out the 

 central eye, and alter liming, laying the cut sides 

 downward, so that the broad surface of eyes lay 

 uppermost. 



Sown April 20. 13 lb. — Yield in November, 

 150 lb. 



5. y/ reddish-broinn while viealed-kidney, which 

 I have reason to believe was originally brought 

 from Wales, by the late Pascoe Greenfell, Esq., 

 new to me at this planting ; received from a dis- 

 tance. The eyes are numerous, and pretty equal- 

 ly distributed ; therefore the potatoes were divided 

 transversely, so that there were crown-end and 

 root-end sets in different rows. The actual com- 

 parative result was not, however, ascertained, be- 

 cause the man employed, did not notice the mar- 

 kers, at the time of digginsr, and mixed the whole 

 crop. By this oversight, I am prepared only to 

 state, that from 24 lb. of these kidneys, I obtained 

 a return of 356 lb. 



It is now leli to the experience of the reader to 



