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fungi. He opens the ground and finds the tubers beginning 

 to decay. Now this disastrous state of things, might, in some 

 degree, at least, have been prevented, if not altogether, if the 

 course that nature has marked out, had been regarded. The 

 works of him who follows nature in her works, will be most 

 perfect. The only advantage there can be in cutting seed 

 potatoes, is the expense that may be saved for seed, and this 

 will be perhaps, more than balanced by the larger crop pro- 

 duced from whole potatoes. Beside, there are other disastrous 

 consequences arising from a continued practice of cutting 

 them for seed. It may answer once or twice, perhaps, when 

 seed is scarce, but even then, it will cause deterioration in the 

 crop produced, that renders it unfit for seed. 



The proper lime for planting potatoes. This is a question 

 of some importance, and here let us take nature for our 

 gtiide. The potato is indigenous only on the high table-lands 

 of the Andes, where the climate is cool and salubrious, and 

 not subject to drought, nor the scorching sun of midsummer 

 that we experience here. The soil is calcareous, with a proper 

 admixture of sand and vegetable matter, and it is kept moist 

 by frequent showers and heavy dews. In such a climate and 

 soil, the potato thrives, and when cultivated there, it is said to 

 be brought to its highest degree of perfection. With us, the 

 potato should be grown at that season of the year, when the 

 climate most nearly corresponds to that of its native country. 

 Hence we may learn that the seed should be put into the 

 ground in spring, as early as it can be put in proper condition 

 for planting, that the growth of the crop may be far advanced 

 before the drought and intense heat of summer comes on. 



At what depth should potatoes be planted? This will de- 

 pend, in some degree, upon the kind of soil. If it be light 

 and permeable, they should be planted at a depth of four 

 inches at least, and if the soil be dry, they should be planted 

 deeper still, for if they receive but a shallow covering, and no 



