POT 



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POT 



Soil. A. dry, friable, fresh, and mo- 

 derately rich soil, is the best for every 

 variety of the potato. 



The black-skinned and rough-red, 

 thrive better than any other in moist, 

 strong, cold soils. If manure is abso- 

 lutely necessary, whatever may be the 

 one employed, it is better spread regu- 

 larly over the surface previous to dig- 

 ging, than put into the holes with the 

 sets, or spread in the trench when they 

 are so planted. But, if possible, avoid 

 manuring. Leaf-mould, or very de- 

 cayed stable-dung, is the best of all 

 manures ; sea-Aveed is a very beneficial 

 addition to the soil; and so is salt. 

 Coal-ashes and sea-sand are applied 

 with great benefit to retentive soils. 

 The situation must always be open. 



Propagation. It is propagated in 

 general by the tubers, though the 

 shoots arising from thence, and layers 

 of the stalks, may be employed. New 

 varieties are raised from seed. 



Planting in the open ground is best 

 done in October and November, and 

 may thence be continued until the end 

 of March. This last month is the latest 

 in which any considerable plantation 

 should be made. They will succeed if 

 planted in May, or even June, yet it 

 ought always to be kept in mind that 

 the earliest planted, especially in dry 

 soils, produce the finest, healthiest, 

 and most abundant crops. 



Sets. The next point for considera- 

 tion is the preparation of the sets. 

 Some gardeners recommend the largest 

 potatoes to be planted whole ; others, 

 that they be sliced into pieces contain- 

 ing two or three eyes ; a third set, to 

 cut the large tubers directly in half ; a 

 fourth, the employment of the shoots 

 only, which are thrown out if potatoes 

 are kept in a warm damp situation ; and 

 a fifth, that merely the parings be em- 

 ployed. Cuttings of the stalks, five or 

 six inches in length, or rooted suckers, 

 will be productive if planted, dining 

 showery weather, in May or June ; and 

 during this last month, or early in July, 

 the potato may be propagated by layers, 

 which are formed by pegging clown the 

 young stalks when about twelve inches 

 long, they being covered three inches 

 thick with mould at a joint. For the 



main crops, moderate sized whole pota- 

 toes are the best. 



To obtain early crops, where tubers 

 are rapidly formed, large sets must bo 

 employed. In these one or two eyos 

 at most should be allowed to remain. 

 If the sets are placed with their leading 

 buds upwards, few and very strong 

 early stems will be produced; but, if 

 the position is reversed, many weak 

 and later shoots will arise, and not 

 only the earliness but the quality of 

 the produce be depreciated. For the 

 earliest crops there are likewise several 

 modes of assisting the forward vege- 

 tation of the sets. These should be 

 prepared by removing every eye but 

 one or two ; and being placed in a 

 layer in a warm room, where air and 

 light can be freely admitted, with a 

 covering of straw, chaff, or sand, they 

 soon emit shoots, which must be 

 strengthened by exposure to the air 

 and light as much as possible, by 

 taking off the cover without injuring 

 them. During cold weather, and at 

 night, it must always be removed : the 

 leaves soon become green and tolerably 

 hardy. In early spring they are planted 

 out, the leaves being left just above 

 the surface, and a covering of litter 

 afforded every night until the danger of 

 frost is passed. 



Planting. Insert them with the dib- 

 ble, in rows ; for the early crops twelve 

 inches apart each way, and for the 

 main ones eighteen inches. The sets 

 six inches beneath the surface. The 

 potato-dibble is the best instrument 

 that can be employed ; the earth being 

 afterwards raked or struck in with the 

 spade, and the soil not trampled upon, 

 but planted as sufficient is dug for 

 receiving a row ; for the looser the soil 

 the less does frost penetrate, and the 

 more readily does superfluous moisture 

 escape. 



The compartment may be laid out 

 level and undivided if the soil is light ; 

 but if heavy soil is necessarily employed, 

 it is best disposed in beds six or eight 

 feet wide. If the staple of the soil be 

 good throughout, the alleys may be 

 two feet wide and dug deep, otherwise 

 they must be made broader, and only 

 one spit taken out, the earth removed 



