226 



APRIL. 



larger sets ; but when the soil was more stiff, on- 

 favourable, in worse tilth, or not equally manured, 

 or the sets ploughed in, under circumstances not 

 very favourable, then the larger cuttings had a con- 

 siderable superiority. The propriety, therefore, on 

 any future occasion, of having recourse to this ex- 

 pedient, will depend on the state of the land, the 

 soil, manuring, &c. If the cutting be done by the 

 bushel, 2d. is a fair price, where women's labour is 

 8d. a day. 



SORTS OF POTATOES. 



They are endless, and fresh sorts coming every 

 day into notice, till they give way to others in suc- 

 cession. It wopld be easy to name many sorts, 

 &ut quite useless. The ox -noble was, for some 

 years, the most productive for cattle and hogs, 

 but I have known it to decline of late. It is, 

 however, still preferable for largeness of product. 

 The early Scot gives two crops a year for the table, 

 but deserves no attention from the farmer for live- 

 stock. 



PREPARATION FOR POTATOES. 

 The best of all preparations is that of paring and 

 burning, and then planting in the furrow of the 

 succeeding ploughing, which should not be more 

 than four inches deep. If 1O or 12 loads of long 

 dung be spread over the ashes, and both ploughed 

 in together, with Ducket's skim-coulter, it will add 

 greatly to the crop. 



PLANT- 



