224 ^'^^ ■^^^' E. Cartwright's Essay on 



because their feet are narrower than a horses, even of diminutive size, but because 

 in their wallc their feet follow each other in a line, so that they do not trample 

 down the ridges, as horses are apt to do, as they go along. 



As the plants stand alternately, the earth is thrown to the outside row, as well as 

 to that which is nearest to the hoe ; so that every plant gets eaithed up on both 

 sides. 7his operation being performed, which lays the land into twenty-seven 

 inch ridges, having two rows of potatoes on each ridge, a careful person goes over 

 the whole with a hand hoe to rectify any litde irregularity, and give the field a neat 

 and uniform appearance. After this the plants have no more hoeings, as I hold it 

 injurious, when the young tubers are formed, to disturb them. It is customary to 

 give several horse-hoeings to potatoes in the course of the summer; and when the 

 rows are planted at wide intervals, it frequently is necessary, were it for no other 

 purpose than to keep down the annual weeds. But at the distance which I recom- 

 mend them to be planted, the tops soon spread so as to occupy the whole ground, 

 and smother what weeds might attempt to vegetate. If chance weeds appear 

 amongst the plants, and over-top them, they are cut down with a knife. Were they 

 to be pulled up by the roots, there would be danger of laying bare the young 

 potatoes. 



I am aware that it may be thought the plants are tod crowded, by having two 

 rows so near together, with so small an interval between them and the next two 

 rows : and so indeed it would be, were it not that by setting the plants alternately, 

 each row can be earthed up on both sides. By planting them uniformly, and, as I 

 may say, with mathematical exactness, the greatest possible number of plants are set 

 in a given space, without loss of ground, and, what is equally as necessary, without 

 being crowded. 



In this mode of planting there will be something more than ten plants to a square 

 yard, which is something less than a square foot for each plant. 



Supposing the produce of each plant to weigh only twelve ounces, the produce 

 of an acre will be above sixteen tons ! But I have no doubt, if the potatoes are of a 

 prolific kind, and well managed, they will produce at the distance I propose, at 

 least one pound at each root in a favourable season. It may not, perhaps, be im- 

 proper in this place to observe, that there is a circumstance in the cultivation of 

 potatoes which, in the neighbourhood of rookeries, it is highly necessary to guard 

 against, namely, the depredations of the rooks, both at the time of planting, and 



