224 APRIL. 



so much the more land with potatoes. The sam 

 observation may be applied to cabbages, which also, 

 in a great measure, answer the purposes of pota- 

 toes. If he deals largely in that crop, it lessens 

 the necessity of having this root ; and ruta baga is 

 as useful to hogs as the potatoe itself ; but being 

 far more uncertain, and the difficulty of securing 

 a crop of it being greater, it cannot be depended 

 on, like potatoes. The fly and drought, &c. are 

 so fatal to it, that many farmers in Norfolk have 

 sowed in vain for several years together. 



PLANT POTATOES. 



The end of April is the best season for planting 

 potatoes, but it ought to be regulated by the 

 finishing of other work, because this should be the 

 last of the great spring operations of planting or 

 sowing. When all others are done, then is the 

 time to begin this. It will, some years, be in 

 May : and I know several potatoe planters of great 

 experience, and on an extensive scale, that prefer 

 May to April for this work. That opinion, how- 

 ever, is far from general. 



POTATOE CUTTINGS. 



The first operation is that of cutting ; slicing off* 

 the eyes of the potatoes, in which a good deal of 

 attention is to be used; first, choosing from the po- 

 tatoe heap only large and fair roots, rejecting all 

 small ones, which should be thrown by for hogs, 

 :&c. There should be bnt one eye to a dice ; but 



rather 



