272 



THE GENESEE i^tiv^ER. 



season was peculiar. During the drought in the 

 early part of summer, the growth of the plants 

 was' slow, and much of the ground remained un- 

 covered with foliage, and, therefore, exposed to 

 the sun A great amount of heat necessarily ac- 

 cumulated in the soil. When rain fell, the tem- 

 perature continued high; and the combined \n 

 flueuce of the warmth and moisture ot the soil and 

 air had a forcing eifect on the potato plant, and 

 caused the haulm to grow with excessive luxuri- 

 ance, so that the foliage of the plants of one row 

 Boon interfered with that of another. Whenever 

 this happen^ the plants, instead of qmetly attend- 

 ing to the formation of tubers, become engaged in 

 & struggle with each other, fighting, as it were, for 

 the precious light. The Invariable result is that 

 all are more or less injured; the stems are drawn 

 DP the sap has further to travel in its ascent and 

 descent; many of the lower leaves become shaded 

 and therefore useless; the stems are also more 

 brittle and liable to be laid, and the produce ot 

 plants so situated, whether they be potatoes or 

 forest trees, will invariably be found dehcient, as 

 • compared with crops grown at a proper distance 



*^^' This induced me to suggest to the Agricultural 

 Society last autumn, whether there might not be 

 some advantage gained by intermixing potatoes 

 with other crops, instead of planting them m helds 

 or i.lots by themselves as heretofore. In a cottage 

 carden for instance, carrots, turnips, parsnej-s, 

 kttuce onions, &c., might be grown in alternate 

 rows with potatoes : my object being to have ati 

 intermediate row of some plant having a difterent 

 habit of growth. The haulm of the potato would 

 then be shorter and firmer, and the whole ot the 

 foliage could be exposed to the light so that no sap 

 would be expended in useless machinery, but all 

 would be reproductive; and if, in addition the po- 

 tatoes are planted early in March, so that they mav 

 oommence their growth with the first impulse of 

 sorine, they willobviously be in a position to make 

 the most of the time they are suffered to grow, 

 and owing to a free circulation of air round the 

 Plants and to the better health they may be ex- 

 pected to possess, they will, probably, offer greater 

 wsistance to the parasite than if grown in the 

 Bsual way. 'A vigorous but not over-luxuriant 

 plant, and a stirring atmosphere, being, as Ur 

 liNDLET^ruly observes, 'the greatest enemies to 



""'Slad of this practice, some will be inclined 

 to plant their potatoes wider apart than usual 

 The same object would certainly be attainej^; b„ 

 in most cases, and in ordinary seasons, I th nk t 

 would be at a needless expense of land and, there- 

 fore less profitable. Besides, by adopting us 

 mixed mode of culture, the weeds of the blighted 

 notato fields of last sea-son seem to assnre us of 

 E consolation, that if the potatoes are again 

 Sighted, the crops grown alternately w' h the^ 

 wifl be benefited by their destruction. T'ley will 

 obviously have a more extensive pasture for their 

 m ts and a greater share of light for the.r leaves; 

 I^d If the decaying steins and leaves of the potato 

 San 3 are not immediately removed as was gen- 

 rallv Z case la.t se.vson, they will furnish an 

 *xtrl supply of manure to the remaining crops, 

 S Velitra growth of these would, to some ex- 



tent, compensate for the deficiency of the potatoes." 



RAISING NEW VARIETIES. 



"These, however, are merely expedients to be 

 resorted to witli a. view to bolster up for a few 

 years the present degenerate varieties; and now I 

 propose to consider how we should proceed m 

 raisini: a succession of progressively hardier varie- 

 ties from seeds, v.-ith a view to regenerate the po- 

 tato in the shortest time and in the most effectual 



manner. . ,• i_ 



" Those who are desirous to assist in this work, 

 but who have riot now. set any plants apart with a 

 view to grow them especially ft>r seeds, may select 

 a few growing at the south end of the rows of 

 their ordinary crops. Secure the.se plants to stakes, 

 and compel them to blossom freely, and perfect 

 the seeds by the means hereafter mentioned. 



" Whenever potato seed is required, plants should 

 invariablv be grown especially for that purpose. I 

 should, in the first pla 'C, obtain a few middle-sized 

 tubers,' sav about four, of the most healthy and 

 hardy varieties for the seed-bearing plants; and, 

 as the autumn months are generally more fevora- 

 ble to the attack of parasitic fungi tlian midsum- 

 mer, early and second early varieties should be 

 l)re^rred; because, unless we had a late variety, 

 which had been proved to be able t<i resist the 

 disease, the chances would be greater of the plants 

 being destroyed before they had perfected their 

 seeds than if early or second early varieties only 

 were'used. The plants must be grown from the 

 first in the open ground, in a situation sheltered 

 from strong winds, yet not confined or damp, boi 

 freely exposed to the sun. Enrich the soil with 

 decayed leaves, or chopped grassy turf; on no con- 

 sideration whatever apply liquid manure, or a 

 heavy dressing of animal manure. 



"In favorable seasons most late varieties will 

 produce a crop ot berries as well as tubers. Inter- 

 mediate varieties generally blossom, and sometimes 

 bear a few berries"; but the earliest sort.*, owing to 

 the early formntion of tubers, seldom blossom, and 

 very rarely ripen seeds. These will obviously re- 

 quire different treatment. In order to obtain seeds 

 from the early varieties, we must adopt the prac- 

 tice of Mr. Knight, who found that if the plants 

 are prevented from forming tubers an abundance 

 of blossoms and seeds will be the result. 



" Having made choice of a situation, and ma- 

 nured the soil according to the foregoing directions, 

 fix strong stakes in the ground about three feel 

 apart, where each plant is to grow, then place i 

 tuber on the surface of the newly-dug soil, and ir 

 contact with the south side of a stake, and oovei 

 the tuber by a mound of earth about hve inchei 

 deep. Suffer only one stem to grow, and as it ad- 

 vances in growth "tie it to the stake to av..id acci- 

 dents from the wind, &c. When the plant is abou 

 five inches high, wash away the mound of soil b] 

 a .strong current of water, till the base of the sterr 

 is visible. The fibrous roots by which tlie plant ii 

 nourished M-ill have made their way into the en 

 riched soil below the tuber; these must be dis 

 tnrbcd as little as possible. They may be readih 

 distinguished from tlio runners which generat- 

 tubers, every one of which must be destroyed 

 The pinnt will shortly make an effort to prodnc 

 other runners, which must again be nipped off_ a 

 soon aa they are perceived ; and the plant beini 



