28 ESCULENT HOOTS. 



England treated with these alone suffered very little from 

 disease ; while others, under the application of manure in 

 the ordinary forms, were more than half destroyed. 



Propagation. The Potato is propagated from the tubers, 

 which are either divided into sets, or planted entire. Which- 

 ever of these practices may be adopted, experience has 

 proved that plants from well-ripened tubers are not only 

 more healthy and more productive, but actually come to per- 

 fection earlier, than those produced from immature sets. 



Experiments for the purpose of testing the comparative 

 value of the tubers entire, or divided into sets for planting, 

 do not seem to be satisfactory. At the Chiswick Gardens, 

 England, the divided tubers gave nearly one ton per acre 

 more than those planted entire ; this excess being the mean 

 of two plantations, one made early in the season, and 

 another four weeks later : while another experiment, con- 

 tinued through a series of years, gave a mean result in 

 favor of medium-sized tubers, planted entire. 



The part of the Potato used for planting has been re- 

 garded as important ; the point, or top, being thought to pro- 

 duce the most healthy and productive plants. Though there 

 appears to be a physiological difference between the extremi- 

 ties, and though the results of the experiment made by the 

 London Horticultural Society gave a large amount in favor 

 of the eye, or top, of the tuber, still, practically considered, 

 the part of the tuber to be used for planting is unimportant ; 

 a paramount consideration being its complete development, 

 or full maturity. 



With regard to the quantity of seed per acre, great diver- 

 sity of opinion exists among cultivators. Much, of course, 

 depends on the variety, as some sorts not only have more 

 numerous eyes, but more luxuriant and stronger plants, than 

 others. Of such varieties, a much less quantity will be re- 

 quired than of those of an opposite character. From a 

 series of experiments carefully made for the purpose of as- 

 certaining the amount of seed most profitable for an acre, it 



