POTATO. 



" But in all cases the earth should 

 be rendered as loose and friable as 

 possible, by s])ude, hoe,* or plough, 

 and where labour is easily command- 

 ed, the spade will be lound to be the 

 more efficacious implement in the 

 first course of treatment, after the 

 plants are well up. 



" Some plant one or two sets in 

 the centre of every square yard, but ' 

 in such cases great and continued 

 earthing, until each square presents 

 the form of a pyramid, is contem- j 

 plated ; and, if our preceding remarks ; 

 be correct, this treatment is only ap- ; 

 plicable to deep and retentive soils. 

 Great returns have, no doubt, been 

 thus obtained, but by this mode there 

 is the least possible incorporation of 

 the manure with the soil. 



♦'In minute husbandry, such as 

 that exemplified in labourers' allot- 

 ments, which excludes the plough al- 

 together, the ordinary and best prac- 

 tice is to lay the sets in rows, after a 

 very deep winter digging, marked 

 ■with a garden-line. The workmen 

 digs precisely as in a garden plot for 

 cabbages : he clears a little drill, lays 

 the sets straight, puts a sufficiency 

 of manure over them, and then covers 

 from the next spit, which he digs 

 with a spade or a three-pronged fork 

 flattened at the ends, levelling and 

 pulverizing as he advances to the 

 distance at wiiich he again puts down 

 his line and forms a new drill. Thus 

 the entire piece is thoroughly loosen- 

 ed, the manure perfectly covered, 

 and every facility given for the hand- 

 hoeing in due course. 



" The next stage of the potato is 

 that in which it blossoms. It has 

 been recommended to pluck off the 

 flowers. Excessive blossoming is no 

 doubt injurious, but experience has 

 generally proved that the extra cost 

 is hardly defrayed by the additional 

 produce obtained. If the flowers are 

 plucked off, they should be nipped in 

 the early bud. 



" When the crop is fully ripe, 

 which is indicated by the withering 

 of the stalks, and when the land is 



* That kind called the bean hoe, shaped like 

 an adze. 



616 



free from stones, labourers, in the 

 proportion of about twenty to one 

 plough (half of tiiese being usually 

 men, and the remainder women or 

 young persons), should be set to pull 

 up the stalks, and carefully collect 

 the tubers which may be attached to 

 them before the plough proceeds in 

 its operation. When it is prepared 

 for work, the men, with prongs flat- 

 tened at the extremity, are placed at 

 such distances from each other as 

 will give them proper time to fork 

 out the potatoes cleanly for the pick- 

 ers, who are also stationed at exact 

 distances with a basket between ev- 

 ery pair, into which they gather the 

 potatoes. 



" The common swing plough may 

 be employed in three ways ; First, in 

 taking off a slice from each side of 

 every drill, and leaving it to the 

 workmen to open out the centre with 

 their prongs ; or, in its third move- 

 ment, it may turn up this centre, 

 under which the main body of the 

 tubers lie, which is more expeditious- 

 ly and easily done if the earth be in fit 

 condition. Second, a double mould- 

 board plough with a long sack, and 

 divested of its coulter, maybe drawn 

 by two strong horses through the 

 centre of the drills, and completely 

 under the level of the tubers, so as to 

 avoid injuring them, by which means 

 the work-people will be kept exceed- 

 ingly busy ; and if the land be in good 

 friable order, this is the most expe- 

 ditious mode ; and provided there is 

 a perfect harrowing afterward, the 

 crop will be taken out with sufficient 

 cleanhness. Third, the crop may be 

 taken up by prongs, or long, narrow 

 spades, without the plough. In wet 

 weather, this more tedious, but far 

 safer method is frequently adopted ; 

 and if the drill be short and the head- 

 riggs under crop also, it is the most 

 desirable, effectual, and economical 

 mode. In removing the produce in 

 this manner, it is obvious that the 

 number of gatherers should be much 

 less, in proportion to the men, than 

 under the other circumstances. The 

 head-riggs should evidently be the 

 1 first parts of the field cleared, to make 



