xxxvi.] POTATO DISEASE, II. PASSIVE STATE. 323 



4. The protective moulding must be applied as soon as 



the disease-blotches make their appearance on the 

 leaves of the haulm. If this has not occurred 

 before wheat-harvest-time, the moulding ought to 

 be executed then, without waiting for the appear- 

 ance of the disease-blotches. 



5. The protective moulding is performed by throwing 



up from one -side of the row of plants a high ridge 

 with a broad base, and running to as sharp a point 

 at the top as possible. The covering of earth 

 thereby produced over the upper surface of the 

 uppermost tubers must be about 5 in. to begin 

 with ; later, by the settling of the earth, and by 

 sliding down, it will, as a rule, preserve a thick- 

 ness of about 4 in. Simultaneously with this 

 moulding, the potato-tops are gently bent over 

 towards the opposite side of the row, so as to give 

 the top at least a half-erect position. 



6. The flat and the protective moulding, where potatoes 



are only grown on a small scale, may be done 

 with a hand-hoe ; on a larger scale these opera- 

 tions ought to be performed with a moulding- 

 plough, the " Protector," which is constructed to 

 meet the necessities of the described system. 



7. In order to prevent after-sickness, which may often 



be exceedingly great, the potatoes must not be 

 lifted before about three weeks after the last 

 leaves in the potato-field are withered. 



8. If the potato-tops are cut off and carried away, which, 



for the sake of the quantity and quality of the 

 crop, ought not to be done before the leaves, in 

 the main, are withered, the lifting may, as it 

 seems, without danger of after-sickness, take place 

 about six days after such removal. 

 Where this method of culture can be conveniently 

 practised, we think the result can be no other than bene- 

 ficial. We look upon the difficult process of bending the 



