AND KURAL ECONOMIST. 273 



however, perfect in form and growth. Eight of them were 

 selected and planted in a row, each widely apart one from 

 the other. From these eight tubers, whose total weight was 

 barely two pounds, I obtained a produce of one hundred 

 and hfty-six potatoes, weighing, in all, sixty-nine pounds. 

 Some roots yielded more than others ; one was peculiarly 

 prolific ; — it furnished eighteen pounds of potatoes, six of the 

 largest of which weighed ten pounds. 



Having thus adduced a few general facts, it remains to 

 point out the mode of operation by which such large results 

 may be obtained. 



One of the chief, if not the primary, agent in effecting 

 vegetable development and maturity, is light. Deprive a 

 plant of that., and you either paralyze the operation of its 

 vital principle, or induce imperfect and diseased action. The 

 leaves of vegetables are the media upon which light acts ; 

 and, therefore, it should be the object of the gardener so to 

 arrange his crops, that the utmost breadth of their foliage 

 may be exposed to the full influence of the solar rays. 

 Hence, the rows of potatoes ought to 'point north and south ; 

 for, in the first place, plants so exposed command the great- 

 est breadth and duration of light ; and in the second, the sun 

 at the time of his highest meridian altitude, that is, at the 

 hour of noon, shines directly along the extent of the rows ; 

 his light is also most equally distributed upon the whole 

 foliage as he approaches to and recedes from the meridian. 

 The perpendicularity of growth, which is of considerable 

 importance to the complete success of the crop, is less likely 

 to be disturbea by this mode of arrangement, than by any 

 other that has heretofore been employed. It is generally the 

 practice to plant small potatoes, or sets of large tubeis, cut 

 with one or two eyes to each. These sets are planted in 

 rows from sixteen to twenty inches asunder, and the sets 

 about half that distance, or nine inches apart, without any 

 consideration being had to the aspect or direction of the 

 rows. As the stems advance in growth, they are very liable 

 to fall over and become entangled one with another, thus in- 

 tercepting the solar light, which then acts unequally upon 

 the disorderly masses of foliage. Hence the crops become 

 very unequal in point of bulk and weight. 



Mr. Knight's philosophical directions lead to a very diffe- 

 rent result. He recommends the planting of whole potatoes, 

 and those only which are of fine medium size, none to be of 

 less weight than four ounces ; and he often prefers those 



