354 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



vigorous eye should be uppermost, so that no hindrance 

 to its quick growth takes place ; a little care on the part 

 of the setter will suffice for this." The best month in 

 which to plant the potato is April, as there are fewer 

 chances of frost injuring the young plants. The after 

 culture of the crop is one demanding considerable care on 

 the part of the farmer, the great point being to keep the 

 soil loose so as to enable the plants to send their root 

 fibres into it as deeply as possible. When the plants are 

 fairly up, the intervals between the drills should be well 

 scuffled and hoed ; care being taken not to disturb the sides 

 of the drills too much, as the fibres will be found to have 

 extended pretty widely. ~No pains should be spared to 

 keep the weeds down. The earthing up of the plants may 

 be done either by the common or double-breasted plough ; 

 the former is preferred by some, as it throws the soil better 

 up towards the plants, the double plough pressing it too 

 much to the sides ; the earthing up is the last process of the 

 culture-proper of the potato, the plants being left to them- 

 selves till ready for taking up, the best month for which is 

 October. 



153. The Potato Disease. It would take a goodly-sized 

 volume to give even a resume of all that has been advanced 

 in connection with the potato disease ; it is, therefore, quite 

 impossible that we can glance even in the briefest possible 

 fashion at the different phases of the question, and it is 

 questionable if any real purpose of utility could be served 

 by doing so if our space permitted ; for, in spite of all that 

 has been written on the subject, we are as far as ever from 

 a real knowledge of the disease, how it is caused, how it 

 may be cured, and, what would be of greater importance to 

 the farmer, how it can be prevented. Amidst the variety 

 of plans proposed either for preparing the soil, adding 

 manures or special substances to it, or for treating the po- 

 tatoes proposed to be used as seed, the two which appear 

 to us to be the best are connected with the soil and the 

 manure the first is to have the land well worked and 

 well drained. Damp and wet soils are undoubtedly bad for 



