25 i 



HORTICULTURE. 



Kitchen 

 ( inidcn. 



^~Y 



Potatoes. 



from the winter's frost. Since the middle of the 18th 

 century, the cultivation of potatoes has made rapid 

 -as in that country ; so that they are now to be 

 seen in almost every cottage garden. 



Professor ^Martyn, in his edition of the " Gardener's 

 Dictionary," has given an account of various notices 

 that occur concerning the introduction of the potato, 

 in the writings of successive horticulturists, and most 

 minute and accurate details respecting its tillage, de- 

 rived from all the best sources of information, and se- 

 lected with great judgment and care. To the learned 

 anil industrious Professor's labours, and to the article 

 AGRICULTURE in this work, we must refer the inquisi- 

 tive reader, contenting ourselves in this place, in ad- 

 dition to the short history already given, with some 

 account of the qualities of the plant, of a few of the 

 principal varieties, and of its culture in gardens. 



The potato is now considered as the most useful es- 

 culent that is cultivated ; and who could a priori have 

 expected to have found the most useful among the na- 

 tural family of the Luridce, several of which are dele- 

 terious, and all of which are forbidding in their aspect! 

 It is at the same time the most universally liked ; it 

 seems to suit every palate. So generally is it relished, 

 and so nutritious is it accounted, that on many tables 

 it now appears almost every day in the year. It is com- 

 monly eaten plainly boiled, and in this way it is ex- 

 cellent When potatoes have been long kept, or in 

 the spring months, the best parts of each tuber are se- 

 lected, and mashed before going to table. Potatoes 

 are also baked, roasted, and fried. With the flour of 

 potatoes, puddings are made nearly equal in flavour to 

 those of millet. Bread has also been formed of it, 

 with a moderate proportion of wheat flour ; and po- 

 tato starch is common. To cottagers having a num- 

 ber of children, the potato is of inestimable value. 

 Dr Johnson, in his " Journey/' remarks, that before 

 the Scottish peasantry acquired cabbages, they must 

 have had nothing ; but with much more reason might it 

 now be'said, that they must have been destitute in- 

 deed, before they knew the potato. By many cottagers 

 in Scotland, and especially in Ireland, potatoes are 

 cultivated on what are called lazy-beds. In construct- 

 ing these, the manure is laid on the surface ; sets of 

 potatoes are placed immediately on it ; and a little 

 earth is thrown over all. In this way a very great 

 return is procured. 



307. In regard to general qualities, potatoes are of 

 two kinds, mealy and waxy ; the former of a loose, 

 the latter of a firm contexture. They are distinguish- 

 ed as to shape, into round, oval or kidney, and clus- 

 tered ; and as to colour, into white, and red or purple. 

 It would be quite an unprofitable task to enumerate 

 the many varieties which have been raised from seed, 

 and have obtained a name for a day. A few of those 

 at present in esteem can alone be named. Kidney po- 

 tatoes of various sorts have long been in repute, par- 

 ticularly the White and the Yorkshire. Red, and White, 

 and Black potatoes, have their admirers. The Early 

 dwarf, Champion, Early frame, Manly, Cumberland 

 early, Fox's yellow seedling, and the Goldfinders, still 

 retain their fame for summer use : but they are per- 

 haps excelled by varieties well known in Scotland by 

 the names of the Ash-leaved, and Mathew Cree's early. 

 The large red-nosed kidney, a white potato with a 

 tinged eye, is a great favourite in the London market, 

 for general culinary purposes ; and the Don potato is 

 the kind most esteemed, and most commonly sold in 

 the Edinburgh market. For the feeding of cattle, the 



5 



Ox- noble, a large round sort with deep eyes; the Ame- 

 rican cluster ; the Yam potato ; and the Lancashire, , 

 or large round rough red potato, are held in high esti- ] 

 mation. 



The raising of potatoes being now considered as ra- 

 ther the business of the farm, in many gardens only a 

 quarter of early potatoes is to be found. For the ori- 

 ginal production of the varieties called earlies, we are 

 indebted to the kitchen gardeners near Manchester. 

 Encouraged by the demand of that populous town, 

 they vied with each other to have potatoes first in the 

 market : they noted those plants that flowered early, 

 saved them, and sowed their seeds; by again watch- 

 ing the earliest of these, they procured varieties which 

 arrive so much sooner at a state approaching maturity, 

 as far as the tubers are concerned, that young potatoes 

 may be had i'ov table two months after planting. The 

 most productive of these, and least apt to degenerate, 

 are such as do not shew a disposition to flower. 



308. The potato is chiefly propagated by cuts of 

 the tubers, taking care to leave one or two eyes or buds 

 to each cut, but eradicating all clustered eyes. The 

 best shaped and cleanest potatoes are selected for this 

 purpose. The cuts are the better for being allowed to 

 dry for a day or two before planting. Any light soil, in a 

 free airy situation, suits the potato. Too much manure 

 can scarely be given, if the quantity of produce be 

 alone looked to; but potatoes of more delicate flavour are 

 procured from ground not recently enriched. About 

 the middle of March some of the early kinds, such as 

 the ash-leaved, are planted on a light warm border. 

 As they are to be taken up soon, sixteen inches between 

 the lines is accounted enough, and seven or eight inches 

 between each plant. They are commonly planted in 

 drills, and covered to the depth of three or four inches. 

 The tubers being small, are generally only cut in two 

 to make sets ; but not more than two eyes are left on 

 each set. Rooted shoots accidentally produced among 

 the stock of early potatoes, have been found to afford a 

 very speedy return. Instructed by this circumstance, 

 some gardeners lay the sets on a floor sprinkled with 

 sand or barley-chaff, till they have sprung four or five 

 inches, thus advancing the growth of the plants a* 

 much as possible under a low temperature, so as to 

 avoid all unnecessary expenditure of their excftability. 

 Great care must be taken, however, to preserve their 

 germs and roots from injury in transplanting. By this 

 means the plants are forwarded nearly three weeKs in 

 their growth. The young potatoes are fit for use in June 

 and July, and in August the tops of the parent plants 

 change to a yellow colour, indicating maturity. Only 

 a few plants are taken up at once ; for the young and 

 immature tubers do not keep good beyond a clay or two : 

 it is found better, therefore, to let them remain in the 

 ground till wanted, and in this way they may be made 

 to meet the later sort. About the middle or end of 

 April, the general potato quarter is planted. Two feet 

 is the space commonly allowed between the rows, and 

 from ten to fourteen inches between the plants. For 

 planting, some use the potato dibble ; which is an in- 

 strument about three feet long, with a cross handle at 

 top for both hands, the lower end blunt and shod witk 

 iron, and having a cross iron shoulder, about four inches 

 from the bottom, so that the holes must of necessity be 

 struck of equal depth. The only attention the crop 

 requires is hoeing, and drawing earth to the stems : 

 the oftener this last operation is performed, the greater 

 is the produce. The potatoes are taken up and used in 

 the autumn months; the winter supply being drawn 



Kitchen 

 Garden. 



