12 TRACTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, &c. 



but I soon perceived, from the vague method of estimating 

 the produce by the returns from the seed sown, without any 

 account being taken of the quantity of land occupied by the 

 crop, that no useful deductions could be drawn, nor any com- 

 parison made between the potatoe lands here and those in 

 England. 



I learnt, however, that two crops (or more) annually were ob- 

 tained from the same land ; and that these were had, in a conti- 

 nued succession, during a period of 12 or 14 years, without the 

 application of any sort of manure. This, I confess, surprised me. 

 I heard also of " self-sown crops," that is, of leaving in the ground, 

 at the time of digging, a certain portion of the potatoes for a suc- 

 ceeding crop. 



This unusual course of husbandry led me to infer that a much 

 better mode might be adopted (which is indeed practised by some 

 of the gentlemen-planters) : and, in order to satisfy myself on this 

 point, I resolved to commence a series of experiments, which 

 should embrace the following essential points in the culture of 

 potatoes ; the proper depth of planting — the best sort of seed — 

 the advantage of the row culture — and the improvement by 

 manuring. 



The returns of 10 or 15 bushels for one sown, were, in genera], 

 deemed good crops ; but my experiments have proved that these 

 are very inferior to what can be obtained under a different course 

 of management. 



Supposing 13 bushels to be the usual quantity of seed required 

 to plant an acre, the returns ahove stated would be no more than 

 180, or 270 bushels per acre. According to the following table 

 it will be seen, that by the new culture, and the aid of manure, 

 the acreable produce of the potatoe lands may be augmented, 

 upon an average, to nearly three times those quantities. What 



