THE CULTUEE OF THE POTATO. 43 



a few years later a labourer named Prentice gets the 

 credit of being the first to plant it under field culture 

 in the neighbourhood of Kilsyth ; and so great was 

 the success of his experiment that every farmer and 

 cottager promptly followed his example and took up 

 its cultivation. Since that period the prejudices 

 which so long existed against the use of potatoes, 

 both in England and Scotland, have gradually dis- 

 appeared, and for many years past the potato crop 

 has been regarded as a most valuable addition to the 

 staple commodities of life, only second in importance 

 to cereals. 



Soil. The potato succeeds in almost any soil, 

 provided it be cultivated on right lines ; but the best 

 soils for this crop are those of a loamy to a sandy 

 nature, and the worst are heavy wet clays or 

 peat. The lighter, drier, and warmer soils produce 

 larger and sounder crops of a better quality and 

 flavour. However, with good drainage, and deep, 

 thorough cultivation potatoes may be successfully 

 grown on practically all kinds of soil. 



The ground for potatoes should always be dug 

 deeply in winter or early spring, according to its 

 texture, and be laid up roughly to the weather for a 

 considerable time before planting. The potato plant 

 revels in a very free, friable condition of the soil. 



Manuring. Except in the case of rich garden 

 soils, farmyard manure is necessary for potatoes if 

 the best results are to be secured, and this should 

 always be applied and dug into the ground in winter, 

 so that it is mixed with the soil and becomes more 

 or less decomposed before planting. Some of the 

 food materials are then available to the crop in the 



