POTATO. 251 



as a manure for potatoes, as its powerful saline 

 qualities not only affect the taste but also cause 

 canker, while any undecayed litter lightens and 

 gives free scope to the lateral shoots of the plant. 

 Where manure is required, which is more likely to 

 be the case in the market and cottager's garden 

 than the gentleman's, the following composition 

 will be found to suit the potato, in whatever way it 

 is applied, whether in the drills or in beds, covering 

 the sets with it, more or less, according to the state 

 of the ground,, and the whole about two or three 

 inches thick with mould : 



Half rotten leaves of oak, beech, or any other 

 trees, with decayed horse litter, thatch, or such 

 like, with a tolerable quantity of well-sifted coal 

 ashes, the whole blended together, and applied 

 more or less according to the state of the ground. 

 If strong, it will be the means of lightening it ; and 

 if moist, of keeping it open. 



Potatoes, with proper care, by going over the 

 rows and rooting out such as have the least varia- 

 tion from the sort planted, either in leaf, bloom, or 

 root, may, when once established, be kept true to 

 their kind for many years ; and, if planted annually 

 on the same piece of ground, allowing at each 

 planting a moderate covering over the roots with 

 the compost before alluded to, or something simi- 

 lar ; and, as a most essential matter, if the ground 

 be kept clear of weeds, and as light as possible, 

 they will produce equally as fine. 



The time for planting potatoes for a principal 

 crop rests principally with the proprietor or gar- 

 dener, as they have been known to have done well 



