356 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



through Mr. Paterson's instrumentality); but these varie- 

 ties, sharing the fate of the old 'Buffs' and 'Blue Dons,' 

 that were swept away by the disease of 1846, will, no 

 doubt, begin to degenerate in a few years, and ultimately 

 fall out of cultivation altogether. In view of such a 

 possible contingency, however, the farmer need not feel in 

 the least degree alarmed, for among Mr. Paterson's seed- 

 lings there are new Eegents and new Rocks, as superior to 

 the old ones in regard to size, vigour, quality, and fecun- 

 dity, as is ' a Triton to a minnow.' 



" About a year ago we had an opportunity of examining 

 several remarkable specimens of Mr. Paterson's seedlings, 

 but, as we did not then see them growing, \?e were, of course, 

 unable to form an idea as to their productiveness. We 

 saw enough of them, however, to convince us that Mr. 

 Paterson's experiments had been successful in so far as size 

 and form of tuber were concerned. It only remained that 

 we should see them ' unearthed,' so as to be able to esti- 

 mate their productiveness, and that we should 'taste them 

 and try them,' so as to be in a condition to pronounce on 

 their quality. Both of these ' missing links ' in the chain 

 of evidence have now been supplied, and we are bound to 

 say that the general results have far exceeded our most 

 sanguine anticipations." 



154. Taking-up and Storing of the Root Crops. The 

 following notes on this important department of farm la- 

 bour will usefully conclude the present chapter. We com- 

 mence these by Mr. Spooner's directions as to the Swede : 



155. (a.) Swedes. "Five men are employed to pull up the 

 roots; each man takes two rows; standing between them 

 he takes with his left hand a root from the row on his 

 left side, and pulling with his right hand a root from the 

 row on his right side, and pulling both up at the same 

 time, places them side by side across the row where he 

 pulled up the roots with his right hand, so as to have, 

 the tops lying in the space between the two rows he has 

 pulled up ; the next man takes the two rows at the right 

 hand of the last two rows we have just described, and he, 



