26 



I have long been satisfied that they were the worst; at least 

 when no farther north than Massachusetts. — Lancashire, a wes- 

 tern county in England, and Ireland, are distinguished for pro- 

 ducing line potatoes. Ireland is remarkable for the moisture of 

 its climate; and the western coast of England is more moist than 

 the eastern. Both are many degrees farther north than Massa- 

 chusetts; and are exempt from the droughts and burning heats of 

 our summers. These circumstances suggest the propriety of our 

 planting potatoes on moist and cool grounds; thus in some mea- 

 sure assimilated to the soils of Ireland and Lancashire; and I 

 may add, of Nova-Scotia and New-Brunswick. — Two or three 

 years ago, early in May, dining with the late Governor Brooks, 

 at Medford, I mentioned the superior goodness of his potatoes; 

 and asked him on what sort of ground they were raised. He an- 

 swered — It is now under water. — The late Dr. James Anderson of 

 Great-Britain, ?ias written largely on Agricultural subjects. In 

 the early part of his life, he was a practical farmer in Scotland. 

 In some of his works, read long since, I recollect his saying, that 

 in one season uncommonly dry, in Scotland or England, or in 

 both, the crops of potatoes were unusually small, and poor in 

 quality. In the next season — a moist one — the crops were abun- 

 dantj and of excellent quality. 



From the preceeding remarks, it seems just to infer, — That iu 

 Massachusetts (and further south it must be more important) we 

 may expect to raise our best potatoes on moist and cool grounds; 

 and better on newly broken up grass land than on such as had 

 been long in tillage, as the latter may not be sufficiently produc- 

 tive without a greater portion of manure. — And further, that as 

 no rehance can be placed on fine potatoes raised in more northern 

 and cooler and moisture climates than our own, for producing po- 

 tatoes equally good in our own, — it is highly expedient to try the 

 experiment, proposed by the Trustees, of raising new sorts, from 

 the seeds of the potato apple; some of which, thus originating in 

 our own chmate, may prove superior to any imported ones; es- 

 pecially if the most proper soils be selected for their cultivation. 



