POTATO. 24?9 



when sprouted to the length of half an inch, or an 

 inch, they should be carefully cut to a single eye, leav- 

 ing a sufficient portion of tuber for support, and after 

 laying a few days to dry, they may be planted in 

 some warm place, from the middle of March to the 

 beginning of April (choosing a dry time for that 

 purpose), in drills about two inches deep, a foot 

 between each row, and six inches apart in the 

 row. The covering in such cases will depend on 

 the weather. Ere now the author has planted the 

 dwarf frame (the ash-leaved kidney not being then 

 known), close under a south and west wall, which 

 has come into use early in May. In the most 

 southern parts of England potatoes planted whole 

 in September have produced a crop of a good size 

 at Christmas. 



Potatoes intended for keeping should be fully 

 ripened before being taken up ; and for storing 

 they should be laid up dry, and not in too large 

 heaps, either in pits or otherwise ; the pits should 

 be three feet deep from the level of the ground 

 (supposing them to be dry), from six to eight feet 

 broad, and of a length according to the quantity. 

 They are best protected by a sort of thatch, to 

 keep out the wet and frost, taking care that the 

 ground is sufficiently dry round the edges to keep 

 out heavy rain or snow. There are many other 

 ways of storing up potatoes ; the best is certainly 

 that by which they can be kept most effectually 

 dry, and at the same time free from the influence 

 of frost. Putting them into close houses and co- 

 vering them well with straw is the most effectual 

 method, and the one (when there is the conveni- 



