farmers' miscellany. 291 



paper at the time it is observed, and forwarded to us when the 

 crop is lifted, and we will make up the result. It would be well 

 for young farmers to form the habit of making such observations. 



We would also suggest the making of some careful experiments 

 on the general cultivation of this crop. It is not by any means a 

 settled point whether they should be planted whole, in pieces, or 

 whether the eyes or buds arc not as good as either. As far as our 

 experience goes — and we have made a number of careful experi- 

 ments — we think there is no difference. But we think tubers of a 

 good size are better than small ones. We may state one fact. 



In the spring of 1844, we received from a friend one potatoe, 

 just brought from Antwerp. It contained eight buds. The tuber 

 was carefully divided, so as to include one bud in each piece, and 

 each one planted in a separate hill. In the summer, before earth- 

 ing them up, a shovel full of stable manure was thrown on each 

 hill, and covered. The produce of the eight hills was 110 pota- 

 toes of good size — or nearly half a bushel. At the same time, we 

 ihad a crop from whole potatoes, and another from mere eyes, and 

 ,we could see no difference in the quantity or size of the produce. 

 If it be a fact, that there is no difference, in a winter of scarcity^ 

 jthe seed end of the tuber may be cut off and preserved for plant 

 |ing, and the rest eaten. 



The history of this useful plant is somewhat curious. It is 

 doubtless a native of this continent. Its original locality seems to 

 have been, as far as can be ascertained, in the mountainous regions 

 of South America, near Quito. From that country they were in- 

 troduced into Spain, early in the sixteenth century. From Spain 

 it appears to have spread slowly through the southern parts of 

 Europe, and in the latter part of that century reached Germany. 

 A.bout this time it was brought into Britain. 



i Sir Walter Raleigh first planted it on his estate near Cork, in 

 'Ireland, whence it was soon carried over into England. They 

 j^ere considered rather as a delicacy than an article of common 

 food — and as to potatoe eaters, it is certainly amusing to read such 

 iccounts as are given by Parkinson, that " the tubers were some- 

 imes roasted and steeped in sack and sugar, or baked w^ith mar- 

 'ow and spices, and even preserved and candied by the comfit- 

 nakers." 



It was a century and a half however, before they became gene- 



