POT 



POT 



351 



second of which is to be the bed 

 for the next row, and the manure 

 is again drawn into this, the seed 

 placed as before, and covered by 

 the next furrow. The rows in this 

 way are every third furrow,or about 

 twenty-seven inchas apt. 



When the plants are about six in- 

 ches above the surface of the 

 ground, it should be harrowed 

 across the rows, and the hoe should 

 follow to set the plants right where 

 covered, and drawing some earth 

 around them. In due season, a 

 furrow, with a one-horse plough, 

 should be run on each side of the 

 rows, with the earth thrown up to 

 the plants, which is to be followed 

 with the hoe, which completes the 

 tillage of the plant. If any weeds 

 afterwards rise, they should be cut 

 up with a hoe, so as not to go to seed. 

 It has been affirmed that plucking 

 the blossoms from potatoe-vines in- 

 creases the crop. But Mr. Justm 

 Ely, of West-Springtield, asserts 

 that no benefit is derived from that 

 process. See Massachusetts ^Agri- 

 cultural Repository, vol. IV. p. 324. 



In gathering the crop, run fur- 

 rows on each side of the rows and 

 then a pretty deep one through the 

 middle, which turns up most of the 

 roots to the surface, for the purpose 

 of picking up by hand. A fork, 

 with four prongs, with the addition 

 of what may be called a fulcrum, 

 fasteiied by a pivot to the back part 

 of the handle may be used for rai- 

 sing the potatoes not turned out by 

 the plough. See Farmer'' s Assist' 

 ant, p. 301—2. 



" In the report on the agriculture 

 of the county of Hereford drawn up 

 for the British Board of Agricul- 



ture, is a description of an excel- 

 lent implement, invented by Mr. 

 YeldalJ, for taking up potatoes, 

 having four prongs, on barbs of 

 iron, with a fang, m the form of a 

 double mould-board, drawn by 

 three horses or four oxen. It en- 

 ters the ground, under the bed of 

 potatoes, and throws the whole to 

 the surface." Domestic Encyclo- 

 pedia, 



Fowls of every sort may be pro- 

 fitably fed on boiled potatoes and 

 meal mixed. A little alum, Arme- 

 nian bole, or other astringent sub- 

 stance, has been recommended to 

 mix with potatoes given to hogs to 

 stop their tendency to purge. 



Potatoes may be preserved al- 

 most any length of time by slicing 

 and drying them in an oven or 

 kiln. 



" To boil Potatoes — Put them in 

 cold water with the top of the pot 

 loosely on. Let them boil gradu- 

 ally in water that will just keep 

 them covered ; 'when the water has 

 boiled, put on the cover close, and 

 continue boiling them for some time 

 longer, till they are soft. Pour off 

 the water and let the potatoes drain 

 in a cullender. Then put them in 

 the pot again without water, and 

 drive off the moisture till they split. 

 Domestic Encyclopedia. 



Payson Williams, Esq. of Fitch- 

 burgh, Mass. received a premium 

 from liie Mass. Agr. Society for the 

 best crop of potatoes raised in 

 1820, being six hundred and four- 

 teen bushels on an acre. 



PoTATOE, Sweet, Convolvulus 

 Batata. The following is the me- 

 thod used by Mr. Joseph Cooper, 

 of New-Jersey, for cultivating this 

 root. 



