24 



manure in plenty is to be had. Take one year with 

 another, the best time for planting in a field is the first 

 week in May. There are various opinions as to the sets. 

 Most planters cut pieces with two or three eyes, or shoots : 

 many prefer small whole potatoes. Some make a point of 

 never planting the crown of the potatoe. If the sets are to 

 be ploughed in, the best way is to lay them, the proper 

 distance apart, on the edge of the top of every other 

 furrow, for the plough to turn them in. If they are put at 

 the bottom, they are trodden on, and many displaced. 1 

 believe the produce may be increased by taking off the 

 flower. It is a common practice to put the sets into holes 

 made with a setting stick, pointed with iron ; the set 

 seldom getting to the bottom of the hole, if dry weather 

 succeeds, the set, having a dry cavity underneath it, 

 becomes dry rotten, and sends forth no shoot. This is a 

 common case this year (1835). It is best to lay the 

 sets on the dung, and cover them over with a spade. 

 Any person occupying ploughed land that has been many 

 years in grass, and was found to produce too luxuriant 

 a corn crop, and, therefore, as some would say, wanted 

 taming, I know of nothing that would do it so effectually 

 as a crop of potatoes. Beasts in the stall will, with hay, get 

 fat with them, but they should not have above one-third of 

 the quantity they may have of turnips ; if they have more, 

 being of a very heating nature, the beasts will appear red all 

 over their bodies, lose their hair, and hecome greasy heeled. 

 Potatoes should be cut, and the small ones likely to go 

 though the machine uncut, should be thrown out, as many 

 a good beast has been choked by a small round potato. A 

 probang should always be near at hand, to be ready when 

 either a small turnip or potato sticks in the throat. The 

 best way of feeding cattle with potatoes is to sieam them, 

 and mix them with cut hay, and a little barley or bean 

 flour. I have found potatoes to answer very well on the 

 hanging of hills, on a farm where turnips will not do well. 



CATTLE CABBAGES. A great weight per acre of 

 this vegetable may be obtained, but they are not good for 

 stall-feeding beasts. They are good for fattening sheep, 

 but it is often necessary that they should be eaten early in 



