I96 APPENDIX. 



fome pains to introduce, by example, the field culture of po- 

 tatoes, in hopes, that what the poor might confume, would 

 be no more miffed than the turnips, which, I believe, few 

 farmers grudge them ; but I fear there are many formidable 

 objections, beiides the infurmountable one of the fhallow fta- 

 ple of our dry foil. 



One excellent farmer, who is a man of a very liberal mind, 

 (Mr. Overman, of Burnham Deepdale,) acknowledges, that 

 on his firft trial, he had more wheat per acre, where his po- 

 tatoes grew, than on the reft of the field : but the impoffibility 

 of getting a large fpace of ground cleared in time to fow 

 wheat, on account of the gleaning, determined him not to 

 repeat his experiment. 



The wire-worms feem to be an increafing evil in our crops 

 which follow grafs, efpecially faint-foin, and I have, in two 

 instances, found potatoes increafe them to a great degree. 



Another objection with me is, that when I fed my cows with 

 potatoes, they were all fo tender footed, as to be hardly able 

 to walk from the yard to an adjoining clofe in which I threw 

 rhem : this I attributed to their treading in the dung formed 

 by the potatoes, as they foon recovered when they ceafed to 

 eat them. 



I fincerely hope the laudable endeavours of the Board of 

 Agriculture, may prevent the apprehended want of bread 

 corn, by promoting the growth of early potatoes; but I have 

 been informed, that in Pruflia, the ufe of potatoes is prohi- 

 bited till a fixed time in the autumn, as it is found that the 

 earlier ufe of them occafions the bloody-flux — the difference 

 of climate may poflibly render this precaution unneceiTary 

 here, but you will, I hope, attribute my mentioning it to its 

 true motive — a defire of preventing or finding a remedy for 

 any inconvenience which may attend an objeft fo apparently 

 deniable, as the general culture of potatoes. 



I am, &c. 



