350 



POT 



POT 



\y for as many hours. After wait- 

 ing some time, and in vain warming 

 it a little, with a view to renew the 

 fermentation, he stirred it briskly, 

 which renewed the fermentation. 

 Stirring it daily, the fermentation 

 went on for a fortnight, and then 

 abated, and could not be renewed 

 by agitation or otherwise. It was 

 then distilled with due caution,care 

 having been taken to stir it in the 

 still, until it began to boil, before 

 the head of the still was applied ; 

 and the fire was afterwards so kept 

 up as to keep it boiling briskly, till 

 the whole was run over. In con- 

 sequence of these precautions and 

 due rectification, he obtained an 

 English gallon of pure spirit, con- 

 siderably above proof, and about a 

 quart more of a weaker kind, a 

 good deal below proof. The Dr. 

 says, it was in every respect the 

 most agreeable vinous spirit he ever 

 saw; and that in taste it somewhat 

 resembled fine brandy. According 

 to this account, one acre of potatoes 

 might yield 300 gallons of good 

 strong spirit, worth at least 90/. 



My new method of planting po- 

 tatoes is this. After the dung is 

 spread and ploughed in, and the 

 ground levelled with the harrow, 1 

 raise the ridges about three feet and 

 a half apart, with the cultivator ; 

 and then dibble in the sets along 

 the tops of the ridges, about seven 

 or eight inches apart, laying each 

 set about as low as the surface was 

 before the ridges were made. 1 

 have had a? good crops in this way, 

 as in any other. 



The method of raising potatoes 

 under straw, is very simple and easy. 

 Lay the sets about eight inches 



apart each way, on any kind of soil 

 that is not too rich : Cover them 

 with straw, or refuse hay, to the 

 depth of about twelve inches. No- 

 thing more is to be done to them 

 till they are taken up. They will 

 be very clean, and the crop consid- 

 erable. 



Potatoes may be spoiled by bad 

 management in harvesting. They 

 should be dug in cool overcast wea- 

 ther, gathered as soon as possible, 

 and kept moist with a quantity of 

 dirt about them. If they are dug 

 in warm and clear weather and ex- 

 posed to the rays of the sun, they 

 will sweat, and become strong, and 

 in time will turn green and become 

 poisonous. 



In feeding stock with potatoes, it 

 is best to steam-boil or bake them. 

 Sir John Sinclair asserts that "there 

 is something injurious in the juices 

 of the potatoe in a raw state, which 

 cooking eradicates or greatly dis- 

 pels." 



The following method of raising 

 this crop is pursued in England,and 

 probably will answer well in this 

 country. 



Break up sward ground in au- 

 tumn, harrow it in the spring, and 

 spread barn dung, or other suitable 

 manure at the rate of about twenty 

 loads to an acre. In planting run 

 a furrow of proper depth, and draw 

 in the dung from a distance of 

 about twenty-seven inches next the 

 furrow, and distribute it evenly 

 along its bottom. On this the po- 

 tatoes are placed, about eighteen 

 inches apart if whole, but propor- 

 tionally nearer if cut in pieces,and 

 then covered by the next furrow. 

 Then two more furrows are run,the 



