POTATO. 



POTATO. 



the plant and produce from the latter being 

 much inferior. 



The potatoes most valued in field culture are 

 the ox-noble, yam, champion, purple-red, rough- 

 red, hundred-eyes, kidney, and Moulton white. 

 The nutritive qualities of these were examined 

 by Mr. George Sinclair, with his usual accu- 

 racy. "The yam," he observes, "is a very 

 productive variety, attains to a large size, but 

 is often hollow, and less nutritive than most 

 others ; 64 drachms afford of nutritive matter 

 190 grains, which consist of starch 164 grains, 

 and saccharine and albuminous matters 31." 



The ox-noble is a productive potato, adapted 

 for slock; and 64 drachms of it contain 194 

 grain- of nutritive matter, consisting of starch 

 164, and saccharine, mucilaginous, and albu- 

 minous matters 31. 



The purple-red is smaller than the ox-noble, 

 but well-flavoured, and very prolific in light, 

 moist soils: 64 drachms afforded 200 grains of 

 nutritive matter, consisting of starch 169, and 

 albu mi nuns and saccharine matters 31 grains. 



The hundred-eye is very prolific on dry- 

 loams ; (54 drachms afford 218 grains of nutri- 

 tive matter, composed of 170 grains of starch, 

 and the rt-^t albuminous and other matters. 



The rough-red produces plentiful crops on 

 soils or climates of a moister nature than that 

 adapted for Ihe hundred-eyed variety : it is 

 well-flavoured ; 64 drachms afford 250 grains 

 of nutritive mailer, which is composed of 199 

 starch, and 46 mucillage, sugar, and albumen. 



The champion grows to a moderate size; is 

 very productive, and litlle subject to the disease 

 Called nirl. 



It is, hence, of great importance, in choosing 

 seed potatoes, to consider the nature of the soil 

 and climate ; thus some of our finest varieties, 

 which yield abundantly when planted in suit- 

 able soils and moist situations, will yield but 

 iM r prior returns when planted in drier situa- 

 t ^s. 



The soluble matters consisted of gum, or 

 mucilage, extractive, and saline matters. 



The potato, although a tender plant, is grown 

 in nearly all parts of Ihe world, from the equa- 

 tor to Norway; and although it is usual to 

 plani it early in the spring, yet it is possible, by 

 choosing a quick-ripening variety, to plant it 

 successfully even as late as July. 



The best manures for the polato crop are 

 common farm-yard compost, only partially de- 

 composed, decayed leaves, sea-weed, the po- 

 tato haulm, and any organic manures, that, 

 while they afford nutrimenl, have a tendency, 

 by rendering the soil lighter, to facilitate the 

 extension of the roots. Lime is injurious to it. 

 Pond mud or ditch scrapings, to each cubic 

 yard of which, a monlh previously, a bushel of 

 bacon salt, or olher refuse common salt, has 

 been mixed, is excellent. The soils best adapted 

 for the cultivation of the potato are of the light, 



sandy, drained, peaty, or loamy description 

 It delights in fresh soils; those of a newly 

 broken-up meadow, old woodlands, or the site 

 of old yards or buildings, are excellent. It 

 does not do well on wet clays. 



Potatoes are readily consumed by live-stock 

 in their unboiled state; but, generally speak- 

 ing, they are best when steamed and mixed 

 with chaff. 



The cultivation of the polato is thus de- 

 scribed by Mr. George Johnson ; and although 

 his remarks were intended for the gardener, 

 yet they apply in a great measure to the field 

 culture of this valuable root. 



The varieties of the potato are numerous, 

 and continually increasing, as well as becom- 

 ing extinct; ihe number, however, is very 

 largely increased by local names for the same 

 variety being classed distinct. 



For forcing, or firsl crop in Ihe open ground: 

 Ihere are Broughton Dwarf, Early Warwick, 

 Ash-leaved Kidney; Fox's Seedling, Early- 

 Manly, Early Mule, earliest for general culti- 

 vation, Barley Kidney, Nonsuch, Early Shaw, 

 Goldfinger. 



For main crops, the varieties are ranged iu 

 Ihis class, according to their forwardness in 

 ripening: Early Champion, Ox Noble, Red- 

 nose Kidney, Large Kidney, Bread-fruit, Red- 

 streak or Lancashire Pink-eye, Black Skin, 

 Purple, Red Apple, Rough Red. 



No inhabitant of the garden varies more in 

 quality in different gardens than the potato; 

 for a variety will have a slrong, unpleasant 

 flavour in one soil, that has a sweet, agreeable 

 one in another. In a heavy, wet soil, or a rank 

 black loam, though ihe crop is oflen fine and 

 abundani, it is scarcely ever palatable. Sili- 

 cious soils, even approaching to gravel, though 

 in these last the tubers are usually corroded or 

 smblty, are always to be planted in preference 

 to the above. A dry, mouldy, fresh, and mode- 

 rately rich soil is unquestionably the best for 

 every variety of the potato ; and, for the 

 earliest crop, il may be with advantage more 

 silicious than for the main ones. The black- 

 skinned and rough red thrive better than any 

 in moist or strong, cold soils. If manure is 

 necessary, whatever may be the one employed, 

 it is betier spread regularly over the surface 

 previous to digging, rather than put into the 

 holes with ihe sets, or spread in the trench 

 when they are so planted. Stable dung is, 

 perhaps, the best of all factilious manures: 

 sea-weed is a very beneficial addilion lo the 

 soil, as is salt. Coal-ashes and sea-sand are 

 applied with great benefit to retenlive soils ; 

 but calcareous matter should never be used. 

 The situalion must always be open. 



It is propagated in general from cuttings of 

 the tubers, though ihe shoois arising from 

 thence and layers of the stalks may be em 

 ployed. New varieties are raised from seed. 

 Planting in the open ground of the early kinds 

 may commence towards ihe close of February, 

 in a warm silualion, and may Ihence be con- 

 tinued until Ihe same period of March ; and it 

 is only during this latter month that any con- 

 siderable plantation should be made, as the 

 late frost are apt lo injure, or even lo destroy 

 the advancing plants. In the course of April. 



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