178 THE MANSE GARDEN. 



and freedom from these evils, in January lay some 

 cuttings or whole potatoes, of the ash-leaved sort or 

 of the early-frame, on boards covered two inches deep 

 with moist sand, chaff, or sawdust, in a place where 

 there is light and some heat. The loose covering 

 encourages the growth of fibrous roots, which may 

 be lifted from the board entire, with the chaff or other 

 matter adhering, and in the best condition for trans- 

 planting. In the beginning of March, on ground 

 newly dug, by the foot of a south wall, where small 

 frosts have little effect, set the well grown plants in 

 a drill four inches deep, with a sprinkling of dry old 

 dung both above and below. Branches of spruce 

 fir or rough-twined ropes of straw, held a few inches 

 above the drill, may be used when needful as a de- 

 fence from hoarfrost. The planting must be later 

 according to the climate and to the degree of frost 

 usual at that early season. It is needless to men- 

 tion, that planting under cover in a hotbed is a surer 

 way to the early production of a few handfuls of in- 

 different potatoes ; but it is somewhat curious, and 

 perhaps less known, that potatoes covered with earth 

 on a cellar floor, without the access of light or air, 

 though they produce no leaves, may be taken up in 

 winter with pretty large young tubers, which, how- 

 ever, have little of the mealy quality and as little of 

 a good flavour. 



It is far easier, however, to have old potatoes in 

 good condition than to contend with nature for the 

 production of new ones; and as those raised by forc- 

 ing are neither palatable nor wholesome, we shall 

 turn to what is more useful the obtaining of a good 

 early crop in due season. The sorts that have been 



